Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Civil unions (limited rights)
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    Ambiguous
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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According to recent survey data available, societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights in Montenegro is noticeable.

In your opinion, why does someone become an LGBTI person?

(CeMI, 2022)
This is a matter of nature and an individual cannot influence this
This is due to influence from the environment in which one grows up or lives
They chose to be LGBT because it's so modern

Do you think that LGBTI people should be helped to exercise their rights?

(CeMI, 2022)
41%
Yes, they should be helped
39%
No, they don't need help

Members of the LGBTI community have a better chance of getting a job if they do not disclose their sexual orientation

(CeMI, 2022)
12%
I completely agree
33%
I mainly agree
16%
I mainly disagree
10%
I don't agree at all

The reason someone is LGB

LGB people are born that way
They became like that due to the influence of the environment
They chose to be that way because it's trendy now

How would you feel if you saw two women openly expressing their homosexuality?

1%
I would feel comfortable
26%
I wouldn't care
73%
I would feel uncomfortable

How would you feel if you found out that someone close to you has changed sex?

2%
I would feel comfortable
32%
I wouldn't care
66%
I would feel uncomfortable

Do you think that the rights of LGBTI people should be guaranteed if Montenegro was to be admitted to the European Union??

The rights of LGBTI people should be guaranteed regardless of whether it is a condition for entering the EU or not
Yes, if it would be a way for Montenegro to become a member of the EU
No, even if it is a condition for joining the EU

Do you think that LGBT people should be granted the right to marry?

Yes, in the same way as heterosexual couples
Yes, but with fewer rights compared to heterosexual couples
No

If a married person changes sex, which position is the closest to yours?

Such a marriage should not be annulled
Such a marriage should be annulled

What do you think is the reason for holding the Pride Parade?

LGBTI people organize the Pride Parade in order to draw the public's attention to the vulnerable position in which they are
LGBTI people organize the Pride Parade only to provoke the majority who do not support their way of life

How objective do you think the Montenegrin media are when they write about LGBT issues?

They are objective
They are and are not objective
They are not objective

Which opinion is closer to yours?

The story of LGBT people is overemphasized, because everywhere in the civilized world it has already been accepted as a normal phenomenon that has existed forever

Have you lived in or visited Montenegro?

Share your experience of being LGBTQ+ in Montenegro.

Take Survey

History

Homosexual activity in Montenegro

?

Homosexual activity in Montenegro is legal.

Current status
Since Jul 1, 1977
Legal
The Criminal Code of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro adopted on June 17, 1977 decriminalized consensual male homosexuality on the territory of Montenegro in the then SFRY.
Jul 1, 1951–Jun 30, 1977
Male illegal, female legal
The Criminal Code of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia adopted on February 27, 1951 criminalized consensual sexual intercourse between men throughout its territory, including Montenegro.
Article 186: for unnatural fornication between persons of the male sex, the perpetrator shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years.
The 1959 amendment reduced the prison sentence by one year.
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Jan 1, 1930–Jun 30, 1951
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
The Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia as of October 3, 1929) adopted on January 27, 1929 criminalized "unnatural fornication" without specifying the definition of the mentioned term.
Paragraph 285: for unnatural fornication between persons, the perpetrator shall be punished with strict imprisonment, unless the act turns into a more serious crime.
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Same-sex marriage in Montenegro

?

Same-sex marriage in Montenegro is civil unions (limited rights).

Current status
Since Jul 15, 2021
Civil unions (limited rights)
On July 1, 2020, the Parliament of Montenegro passed a bill to recognise life partnerships for same-sex couples and started recognising them in July 2021. Some articles need to be amended in order to give more rights to life partners.
Oct 22, 2007–Jul 14, 2021
Banned
There is constitutional ban on same-sex marriages in Montenegro.
Article 71: "Marriage can only be concluded with the free consent of the woman and the man".
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Montenegro

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Montenegro is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Montenegro, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Right to change legal gender in Montenegro

?

Right to change legal gender in Montenegro is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Legal, but requires surgery
Requires surgery and sterilization. Not enforced. Missing non binary options on documents. Changes pending.

Gender-affirming care in Montenegro

?

Gender-affirming care in Montenegro is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1997
Legal
In 1997, Montenegro adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Sources:
ourworldindata.org/grapher/…
web.archive.org/web/2020032…//mkb10.rs/web/app.php/novosti/21/medunarodna-klasifikacija-bolesti-mkb
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1979–Dec 31, 1996
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1979, Montenegro adopted the ICD-9 classification, which included codes allowing for the diagnosis of transsexualism in adults.
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Restricted
In 1977, Montenegro legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
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Until 1977
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Montenegro

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Montenegro is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Montenegro does not currently recognize non-binary identities.

LGBT discrimination in Montenegro

?

LGBT discrimination in Montenegro is illegal.

Current status
Since Aug 14, 2010
Illegal
On July 27, 2010, Montenegrin Parliament passed a Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, which prohibits, among other categories, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex characteristics in all areas.
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May 1, 2003–Aug 13, 2010
Illegal in some contexts
Before the adoption of the Anti-Discrimination Law in 2010, several laws prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation: - law on media (2002), article 23; - labour law (2008), article 5.
Also, the 2007 Constitution prohibits discrimination in general but it does not mention sexual orientation or gender identity.
Until Apr 30, 2003
No protections
Until 2003, Montenegro had no legal protections specifically aimed at LGBT rights.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Montenegro

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Montenegro is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Aug 14, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Article 16 of the Anti-Discrimination Law from 2010 bans Employment discrimination. Discrimination is prohibited on basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex characteristics among others.
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Aug 23, 2008–Aug 13, 2010
Sexual orientation only
Aricle 5 of the 2008 Labour Law prohibits employment discrimination. Sexual orientation is one of explicitly mentioned grounds.
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Jul 29, 2003–Aug 22, 2008
Ambiguous
Article 3 of the 2003 Labour Law prohibited discrimination in employment but did not mention sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Until Jul 28, 2003
No protections
Before this date there was no protection of the LGBT population from discrimination in Employment in the Montenegrin legislature.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Montenegro

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Montenegro is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Aug 14, 2010
Ambiguous
The Law on Prohibition of Discrimination from 2010 prohibits discrimination in all areas, but there is no specific article dealing with Housing.
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Oct 22, 2007–Aug 13, 2010
Ambiguous
The Constitution of Montenegro prohibits discrimination on any ground. However, it does not explicitly mention sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Until Oct 21, 2007
No protections
Before this date there was no protection against discrimination in Housing in Montenegrin legislation.
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Same-sex adoption in Montenegro

?

Same-sex adoption in Montenegro is illegal.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2007
Illegal
According to article 132 of the 2006 Family Law in Montenegro, adoptive parents can be:
- spouses or common-law partners together
- the spouse or common-law partner of the child's parent
- exceptionally, with the permission of the cabinet minister responsible for social welfare, a person who lives alone if particulary justified reasons exist for doing so.
This practically means that single people (regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity) are not allowed to adopt.
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Intersex infant surgery in Montenegro

?

Intersex infant surgery in Montenegro is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no official ban on unnecessary sex reassignment operations in infants in Montenegro.
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Serving openly in military in Montenegro

?

Serving openly in military in Montenegro is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 12, 2017
Legal
Article 16 of the Law on the Army of Montenegro adopted on July 26, 2017, prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (among others) in relation to persons applying for service in the Army.
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Blood donations by MSMs in Montenegro

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Montenegro is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 6, 2014
Legal
MSMs are allowed to donate blood following the same criteria as any other donor.

Conversion therapy in Montenegro

?

Conversion therapy in Montenegro is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no ban of Conversion Therapy in Montenegro.
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Equal age of consent in Montenegro

?

Equal age of consent in Montenegro is equal.

Current status
Since Jul 1, 1977
Equal
The age of consent of 14 has been the same for everyone since 1977.
Until Jun 30, 1977
N/A
Before this date, consensual male homosexuality was illegal
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