LGBT organization demands apology from Serbian minister

The Center said it filed a complaint against Minister Nenad Popovic for a Tweet in which he called for an immediate stop to the importing of what he said were gay picture books for children.

“At a moment when we as a state are fighting to support higher birt rate, gay picture books are being imported from Croatia! That must be stopped immediatelly! We have to to stop those who want to convince us that it’s all right for ROKO TO HAVE TO MUMS AND FOR ANA TO HAVE TWO DADS,” the minister tweeted.

The Center said the tweet of a minister in Prime Minister Ana Brnabic’s government is shameful, adding that it’s even more shameful that Brnabic is not doing anything about it. Brnabic is Serbia’s first woman and first openly gay prime minister.

Popovic said later on Thursday he only expressed his legitimate opinion as “a parent and Serbia’s citizen, who honours the traditional values.”

“I do not call for a violence and I have never done it,” he said, adding he "got back only insults, instead of any arguments.”

The Center said it would demand that Brnabic return the Rainbow award she was given last year for her contributions to LGBT rights. “The Gay Lesbian Info Centre demands a public apology from Minister Popovic for his inflamatory statements …. which contribute to greater homophobic views and violence against LGBT persons,” it said.

The picture books published by the Croatian organization Dugine Obitelji (Rainbow Families) were presented in Belgrade recently. They are intended to help the integration of children of same-sex parents.