Bosnia is taking a (cautious) step towards regulating same-sex partnerships

Gay rights in Bosnia is a subject that has led to fierce, and sometimes violent, opposition from the country's conservatives. However, the government now seems to be taking a cautious step in favour of the LGBT+ community: the Federation (one of the two entities in Bosnia) has appointed a working group to draft legislation that would regulate the rights of gay couples.
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Chair of the interdepartmental work group, Sead Lisak, said the first session will take place in April, Balkan Insight reports. Particularly aimed at the Bosniak-Croat, semi-autonomous Federation, they will be engaging with civil society organizations that deal with issues related to same-sex couples.

The small step to regulate these rights is in response to the increasing amount of Bosnian gay couples entering into registered partnerships abroad. The government received the request from the Federation's Interior Ministry. In the other entity (the mainly Serb Republika Srpska) no similar effort has been made.

So far, both entities in Bosnia are relatively far behind other European countries in terms of LGBT+ rights. Registered partnerships for same-sex couples are not legally recognized (which means gay marriage is even further in sight). During various LGBT+ events in the country, participants run a significant risk of being exposed to abuse and violence. Sarajevo held a Pride event for the first time last September, which went relatively peaceful thanks to security. Until then, Sarajevo was the last European capital without a Pride event.

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