Gay rights NGO wants meeting with patriarch
BELGRADE — The Gay Lesbian Info Center (GLIC) has sent a request to the Serbian Orthodox Church to meet with Patriarch Irinej.
The request states that the “GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Trans-gender) population in Serbia is facing violence every day and that a majority of people who are committing this violence justify it with their beliefs and the teachings of the Serbian Orthodox Church.”
GLIC also said in a statement in Belgrade today that the violence at the first Pride Parade in 2001 was “led by a priest of the Church”.
“Because of this, the Serbian Orthodox Church can play a large role in decreasing the amount of violence,” GLIC states.
The organization added that it hoped for a positive answer and that the Serbian Orthodox Church “will want to help those who are in danger and contribute to the decrease in violence against the GLBT population.”