There are two people who aligned their gender identity and now live in Montenegro, while around ten are on a hormonal therapy and in the process of transition, suggests NGO Spektra. Executive director of NGO Spektra, Jovan Ulićević Džoli, underwent the first gender reassignment surgery in Montenegro paid by the National Health Insurance Fund (which paid 80% of costs) and he officially declared himself a transgender person.
Two years passed since the adoption of the 2012 Health Insurance Law which prescribed that 80% of the gender reassignment surgery was supposed to be paid by the Health Insurance Fund to the practical implementation of the Law, said Ulićević, adding that another 2 years were needed to adopt the Rulebook on criteria for allowing a transgender person to exercise his/her right to paid surgery.
Meanwhile, many things have changed. Of 40 people being the members of NGO Spektra, even 9 of them publicly declared themselves the transgender persons, while many admitted that fact to their families or friends, according to Ulićević Džoli.
“We are currently trying to solve the problem with a lack of estrogen for the transgender women, but for all the other women in need. We worked a lot with our doctors as we wanted to facilitate this procedure for the transgender community so that they can have all the necessary services here,” stressed Ulićević Džoli.
He was 23 when first started with the transition process and it was very hard for him as it was something completely new in Montenegro.
“And now I see 18-year-old young people who can do it because they have support of their families or friends,” said Ulićević Džoli, being proud of everything that they have achieved so far.
