Homophobic language on social media, discrimination in employment and laws that are poorly enforced. These are just some of the challenges that members of the LGBTI+ community in North Macedonia face every day. The data show that the problem is especially pronounced online, while institutions are still struggling to respond adequately when cases arise.
According to the platformGovor na omraza(Hate Speech), hate speech has continued into 2026, with 15 cases recorded through June, including some linked to the announcement of the Pride Parade. In 2025 alone, the platform documented 76 cases of hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the total since 2012 now stands at 1,066.
Meanwhile, data from the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination (CPPD) show that the Commission handled a total of 559 discrimination cases in 2025. Gender was the reported ground in 10% of complaints, and gender identity in 8%. The Commission found discrimination in 56 of the 559 cases.
That same year, the CPPD received 35 complaints on the grounds of gender and three on the grounds of gender identity. Discrimination on these grounds was most often reported by women.
The Commission also found direct discrimination based on gender and gender identity in access to employment, a sign that discrimination is not confined to public spaces and the internet but also undermines people's rights in the labor market.
Hate speech, which is a criminal offense under the Criminal Code, is also addressed in the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination. Article 10 of the law defines harassment as any unwanted conduct toward an individual or a group, based on discriminatory grounds, whose purpose or effect is to violate their dignity or to create a threatening, hostile, humiliating or intimidating environment.
However, the CPPD does not deal with these cases through criminal proceedings. Its decisions and recommendations carry weight, but they are not legally binding. If an offender fails to act on a recommendation, misdemeanor proceedings can be initiated.
The CPPD steps into the courtroom as a "friend of the court"
Gjatë vitit 2025, KPMD ka përdorur gjithashtu kompetencat përmes pjesëmarrjes në procedura gjyqësore si ‘amicus curiae’ apo mik i gjykatës. Komisioni ka parashtruar tri kërkesa në Gjykatën Themelore Civile në Shkup në lëndë që lidhen me diskriminimin në bazë të përkatësisë politike, orientimit seksual, identitetit gjinor dhe përkatësisë në një grup të margjinalizuar. Njëra prej tyre lidhet me rastin Shoqatës Queer Center Shkup.
As a result, individual cases of discrimination against LGBT+ people are now also making their way into the courts, although activists continue to warn of a gap between the protection the law promises and what happens in practice.
The laws exist, but enforcement falls short
North Macedonia's legal framework on discrimination and hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity is largely in line with European standards. The problem lies in putting it into practice.
Lila Milik, an LGBT+ rights activist, sees the way institutions apply the law as one of the biggest problems.
"Institutions often fail to recognize cases of hate speech and violence, and they don't pursue them the way they should," she says.
She also points to a serious gap between the legal framework as it exists on paper and how it is applied in practice.
"The problem isn't only the laws, but also a lack of political will, institutional capacity and a proactive approach," Milik said.
Most hate speech happens on social media
According to the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, most incidents of hate speech and harassing speech take place on social media, largely in comments and in posts on personal profiles.
"Documentation platforms alone recorded 230 reported cases of hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Most of these cases took place on social media, where homophobic and transphobic language was noticeably widespread," the Helsinki Committee states in its report for last year.
These figures come from different documentation mechanisms, so they cannot be directly compared with the 76 cases logged by Govor na omraza. Still, both sets of data point to an ongoing problem with hate speech targeting LGBT+ people.
North Macedonia trails much of Europe on LGBT+ rights
Problems with discrimination, hate speech and the protection of rights in practice are also reflected in international assessments. According to ILGA-Europe, North Macedonia is among the countries with the lowest scores in Europe when it comes to the legal and policy situation of LGBT+ people. In its report, the country scored 29.26% and ranked 31st out of 49 countries. The assessment covers areas such as equality and non-discrimination, hate speech, legal gender recognition and civil society space.
These issues have also been highlighted in a number of international reports, which have called on the country's institutions to take action.
This publication was produced within the framework of the project Queer and Present: Media, Rights and Safety for LGBTIQ+ persons in Pollog, which is implemented as part of the broader regional project Together for LGBTQI+ Equality, implemented by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) in partnership with ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Turkey, Queer Montenegro, Queer Center Skopje, Tuzla Open Center, Open Mind Spectrum Albania (OMSA), and the Center for Social Group Development from Kosovo. The programme is funded by the European Union.
The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Center for Equal Opportunities “Mollekuqja” and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, CCE, or the project partners.
