One of Belgium's top-ranking ministers Petra De Sutter will travel to Serbia on 13 September to open a conference on human rights at the EuroPride event, which has been banned by the Serbian authorities.
Given her high profile as the first openly transgender minister in Europe, Petra De Sutter, Belgium's Federal Minister of Civil Service and Deputy Prime Minister, has been invited to lead a conference on human rights at EuroPride, the pan-European LGBT pride event.
In Belgrade, she will be talking alongside representatives of the United Nations and personalities from the European institutions in the Serbian capital.
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This year's edition of EuroPride will take place from 12 to 18 September. The event has fought off the threat of cancellation by Serbian authorities due to fierce opposition from right-wing, far-right and religious groups.
It is precisely because of this opposition that De Sutter has doubled down on her desire to participate at the event stating that “as a society, we must not give in on the question of human rights and we must not make anyone invisible.”
Translation of tweet: "I did not hesitate for a second, at the request of EuroPride I will take the lead in Serbia. After all, the Serbian President does not want the march to go ahead. I will continue to defend the values we hold dear. Especially when they are under attack."
Additionally, De Sutter will meet a Hungarian LGBTQI+ delegation on Monday as a prelude to her trip to EuroPride.
