Kosovo mulls same-sex unions amid fierce criticism

STORY: In Kosovo’s Pristina, gay actors rehearse a play which satirizes homophobic politicians - and advocates equal rights for the LGBT community.

They’re practising in the knowledge that Kosovo could soon become the first Muslim-majority country to allow same-sex unions.

The play will run during June’s Pride Week - and may also coincide with a parliamentary vote on legalizing civil unions between people of the same gender.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said last month it would happen soon.

If this new civil code passes, it’ll be a major boost for gay rights in the conservative Balkans country.

But the play’s lesbian director Arlinda Morina fears it won’t change entrenched attitudes.

“Why not, I would marry. I could feel free. But, what will that marriage change when you go out in the street and people spit on you? You are insulted because of the mentality that we live in. Marriage will make a big noise if it is allowed by the Civil Code and it will also give a little shake in the country but I don’t believe this is something big for us. For us the biggest thing is to go out for coffee, to feel the same, to have gender, emotional and sexual equality.”

While most of Western Europe has moved towards marriage equality, rights are restricted in much of central and eastern Europe.

Nearby Greece passed same-sex marriage into law earlier this year, becoming the first Orthodox Christian country to do so.

But in Kosovo, which is over 90% Muslim, Kurti faces objections from some of his own lawmakers.

Among those is Duda Balje, lawmaker and chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights.

“Do not put pressure on me because I want to have my right not to support this law. This is not only me, this is what the majority of people in Kosovo think. We don’t want pressure from a small community to be more important than what the majority is thinking.”

The new civil code allows same-sex couples to register civil unions but calls for another law to regulate gay marriages.

A lawmaker from the ruling party told Reuters that Kurti is trying to convince the opposition to pass the code by offering to call a snap election in return.

The next election is due in February 2025.

The government did not respond to a question on when it expects the civil code vote to be held.