A big leap for human rights in this small Balkan country.
With 42 votes in the 81-seat parliament of Montenegro, the law became effective as of yesterday, Wednesday 1st July 2020. Duško Marković, Montenegro’s prime minister, described the event as “a great step in the right direction for Montenegrin society, its democratic maturity, and integration processes”.
With him, also the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, welcomed the new law with a post on twitter:
🇲🇪 is one step closer to joining the most developed world democracies! By adopting the Law on Same Sex Life Partnership, 🇲🇪 is for the first time regulating the legal rights of same-sex couples! #LGBT@UNHumanRights@EURightsAgency@ILGAEurope
— Milo Đukanović (@predsjednik_cg) July 1, 2020
The advocacy group LGBT Forum Progres, Montenegro’s first and oldest LGBT+ organisation, posted on twitter too to celebrate this new bill
The Parliament of Montenegro just passed the Law on same-sex partnerships, with 42 votes in favor. Historic day for all of us and the #LGBTI movement in Montenegro!
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
— LGBT Forum Progres (@LGBTFP) July 1, 2020
Unfortunately, as it happens in some other European countries, like Italy for example, although Montenegrin same-sex couples are granted almost all the same rights as straight couples, they are still unable to adopt or foster children.
You may thing that surrogacy is the solution… but nope! Surrogacy is banned for all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, and for lesbian couples the country does not allow IVF.
Well.. at least the LGBT+ community of Montenegro has something to celebrate after a very bad beginning of 2020 with this pandemic caused by Coronavirus.
