President Milanović Meets with Zagreb Pride and Pride Parade Organizing Committee Delegation on 10th Anniversary of Life Partnership Act
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met today with members of the Zagreb Pride Association and the Organizing Committee of the 2024 Pride Parade for the LGBTIQ community. The Pride Parade, held on 1 June in Zagreb, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Life Partnership Act, which was the focal point of the meeting at the Office of the President.
Franko Dota, coordinator of the Zagreb Pride Association, underscored the significance of the Life Partnership Act for the Croatian LGBTIQ community during the meeting. Ten years ago, this law officially recognized marriage, cohabitation, life partnership, and informal life partnership as forms of family life. Adopted by the Croatian Parliament on 15 July 2014, the law marked a significant milestone for human rights and particularly for advancing the equality, dignity, and rights of LGBTIQ individuals in Croatia. Representatives of Zagreb Pride expressed gratitude to President Milanović, noting that the law was proposed by the government he led at the time.
Since the inaugural Pride Parade in 2002, significant strides have been made in advancing the rights of LGBTIQ individuals. However, they continue to advocate for an equal and constitutionally guaranteed position in society. At the meeting, discussions also centred around the messages and objectives of this year’s Pride Parade in Zagreb, held under the Croatian slogan Ustali i ostali – Ustale i ostale. This theme aimed to underscore the rights and freedoms associated with one’s characteristics and identity. Furthermore, representatives of the LGBTIQ community highlighted their status as the largest, most visible, and culturally active minority in Croatia. Regarding their future endeavours, they expressed their aspiration to establish an LGBTIQ centre in Zagreb. Additionally, the upcoming inaugural Pride Parade in Pula on Saturday, 22 June, was seen as another milestone in the ongoing success of LGBTIQ activism in Croatia.
In addition to the coordinator of the Zagreb Pride Association, Franko Dota, the meeting was attended by association members Ivan Šestan and Suzana Kunac, as well as members of the Organizing Committee of the Zagreb Pride Parade, Fran Klarić, Marin Berović, and Martin Petrinović. President Milanović was accompanied by Melita Mulić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas