Our struggle for the rights of LGBTIQ couples and rainbow families began long before the Life Partnership Act was adopted. Zagreb Pride initiated and supported the case Pajić v. Croatia before the European Court of Human Rights. The Court confirmed that states cannot exclude same-sex couples from rights granted to different-sex common-law couples in the context of family reunification.

Zagreb Pride took part in drafting the Life Partnership Act. Our representative was a member of the Ministry of Administration’s working group. Through our proposals, the law granted a higher level of rights than the political maximum of the time, and it was our contribution that gave this family union its name — life partnership — as well as a definition that includes the wording family life union.

Since the law was adopted, we have been working to ensure that it is consistently applied and expanded so that both life partnerships and informal life partnerships receive equal treatment to marriages and common-law unions.

Alongside our public work, we also work hard behind the scenes. We challenge attempts by state authorities to exclude life partnerships from new laws and regulations. We support couples in exercising their rights before administrative bodies and courts. Zagreb Pride has contributed to rulings and regulations that made it possible for same-sex marriages performed abroad to be entered into the Croatia’s Life Partnership Register.

We advocate for Croatia to fully recognize the births, parenthood, and citizenship of children born in same-sex marriages of Croatian citizens abroad, without humiliating or discriminatory requirements and procedures.

Our goal is full equality in law and in practice.

Zagreb Pride provides legal, political, and activist advice and support to the LGBTIQ community and rainbow families, and when needed, offers legal representation.

Each year, we receive around a hundred inquiries related to the implementation of life partnership and parenting laws and initiate dozens of legal procedures. Most of our interventions deal with discrimination against life partnerships, especially informal ones, the recognition of foreign partnerships, the registration of same-sex marriages performed abroad in the Croatian register, as well as issues related to taxation, healthcare, and parental rights.

Through our ongoing service Pink Megaphone, we have years of experience in advocating for legal and policy change and in leading strategic litigation.

Through public and strategic advocacy and by providing legal and community support, we work to change practice, law, and social attitudes. Our experience and results show that consistent, expert work has secured real progress for life partnerships and rainbow families in Croatia.

None of this would be possible without your involvement and support. Stand with us, support our work, and if any of your rights have been denied, contact us.