LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey
With 42 votes in favour, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted Same-sex Partnership Act!
Congratulations to LGBTI communities and activists, our friends and colleagues from Montenegro, who have worked so hard towards the adoption of this law. This is a great victory for equality of the LGBTI persons!
The implementation of the law will start in one year from now, as other laws have to be synced with this law and registry offices have to prepare.
Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković welcomed the adoption of what is officially called the Law on Life Partnership of Persons of the Same Sex, stating that there is no place for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in European Montenegro:
“This is a big step in the right direction for Montenegrin society, its democratic maturity and the integration process. Equality and equal rights for all are the basis of human and European values”, said the Montenegrin Prime Minister and thanked the LGBTIQ community for the dialogue and contribution.
LGBT Forum Progress points out that the key factor from now on will be the implementation of this law in practice, “which is the next big step in the process of protecting the human rights of LGBTI people”.
Queer Montenegro said that the LGBT population is “one step closer to full freedom and full equality” from today:
“As of today, we are closer to life with dignity than ever before, and as of today, we stop living as second-class citizens”, the organization said in a statement.
The Coalition “Together for LGBT Rights” congratulated LGBTIQ people on the adoption of the Law:
“We thank all members of the Parliament who voted that persons belonging to sexual minorities can make their life together with the person they love official. We thank the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, which is the proposer of this law, and with whose support and commitment legal recognition of same-sex unions have become a reality”, the statement said. The adoption of this law is a victory for the idea that human rights belong to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or other characteristics, the coalition points out.
Montenegro becomes the first country among Western Balkan six to adopt such law and we hope the other five countries will soon follow.
Love always wins!