Serbian Orthodox Church Baptizes First Transgender Man

Vu Adzic was baptized in the Serbian Orthodox Church on November 3. (LGBT Forum Progres)

The Serbian Orthodox Church baptized a transgender man under his chosen name in a landmark first on November 3. The man, Vu Adzic, was christened at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica, Montenegro.

Adzic is only 19 years old but told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that his faith was tested many times before the baptism, most recently when he was violently attacked at his family’s mountain cottage in the middle of the night. The three men accused of committing this act are currently awaiting trial, reports Vijesti, a Montenegrin daily newspaper. Commenting on the attack, Adzic says: “I definitely feel that church is my only safe harbor.” Adzic is relying on a Podgorica non-profit for shelter after the attack. 

The response from the Serbian Orthodox Church to this event has been contradictory. While Adzic praised the church for recognizing him as a man, RFE/RL reported that the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Amfilohije Radovic, clarified that the baptism was not a "justification of same-sex relationships, a mindless gender ideology that we have witnessed in recent decades and which are, without any doubt, a sin."

Radovic previously stated in an interview for N1-TV that he is “no homophobe but rather a sin-phobe.” He has been a vocal opponent of the Podgorica’s LGBT parades, describing the LGBT community as “the self-destruction of humanity.” Surprisingly, Adzic has defended Radovic, thanking him for "the blessing of being able to be baptized," according to RFE/RL.

The board president of a prominent LGBT-rights organization in Montenegro told local news outlet, Dnevne Novine that this “symbolic step” could help change perceptions of “the retrograde and backwardness of religious institutions.”

According to research from ILGA-Europe, an LGBT advocacy group, public support for the LGBT community in Montenegro is higher than in a number of other countries aspiring for European Union membership. Rainbow Europe reports that Montenegro instated laws to punish hate crimes and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. 

However, these laws were only adopted after a violent clash during a pride parade in 2013. Still, observers are optimistic as recent pride events passed without incidents. Montenegro still does not protect same-sex relationships and only protects transgender people who have undergone expensive reassignment surgery. Without having undergone transitional surgery, Adzic is categorized as a female on governmental documents – one reason why his baptism as a man is all the more significant. Adzic stated that LGBT people in Montenegro “are second class citizens, trapped, invisible to the system when it comes to education and health, for example.” Although discrimination is still a problem, Adzic believes that “there is progress.”