Full Breakdown
Rising Violence Targets Serbia’s LGBTQ+ Community
7/31/2026, 9:19:09 PM
Spike in Violence and High-Profile Attacks
On July 11, a woman on a Belgrade bus stabbed Aleksandar Savic, known as drag queen Alexis Plastik, inflicting a calf cut and eye injuries that required emergency treatment. The attack follows a string of assaults: in mid-May unknown assailants sprayed tear gas inside the queer bar Mornar; at the end of May a trans woman and her partner were beaten unconscious; and in mid-July the Pride caravan stop in the southeastern town of Pirot was cancelled after death threats and the mob-attack on three journalists.
Data, Trends, and Rankings
- The NGO Da se Zna! recorded 110 cases of LGBTQ+-related violence last year, the highest total on record. “Last year, we counted 110 cases — more than ever before,” — Stefanovic. That's
- A survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that about 80 % of respondents avoid holding a partner’s hand in public.
- The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) Rainbow Map shows Serbia slipping to 29th place in Europe, six spots below the continental average and down from 22nd place five years earlier.
Official Response and NGO Perspective
Matija Stefanovic, program coordinator for Da se Zna! – the only Serbian organization that documents queer-related attacks – stresses that the surge reflects a systemic problem rather than isolated incidents. He argues that most assaults go uninvestigated and perpetrators rarely face consequences, emboldening further violence. Stefanovic calls for education as the sole remedy and notes that the group’s Pride caravan, which travels to small towns, repeatedly encounters hostile crowds and death threats, underscoring the precarious safety environment for LGBTQ+ activists.
Impact on Community Life
The climate of intimidation has driven many queer Serbians to conceal their identities. Public affection is largely avoided, and fear of retaliation limits participation in events such as the annual Belgrade Pride parade. The cancellation of the Pirot caravan stop and attacks on journalists illustrate how threats extend beyond individual victims to civil-society actors attempting to document and report the violence.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Violence is becoming increasingly normal, while protection against it is anything but guaranteed — especially for those who speak out against social or political problems, or who are unpopular with the general public,” — Matija Stefanovic
- “The fact that most of these attacks aren't investigated and that the perpetrators are rarely held accountable means they can't be dismissed as isolated incidents,” — Matija Stefanovic
- “These protests show the sad reality for queer people living in a small Serbian town,” — Matija Stefanovic
- “It sounds totally cliche, but I wanted to become the person that I needed in my life when I first exploring my own gender identify,” — Stefanovic. He
