War crime tribunals aren't necessarily gay stomping grounds, but not in the case of Bosnian Serb militant leader Radovan Karadzic, who's currently on trial for genocide at The Hague.

Karadzic has been on the run since 1995, when he was accused of organizing massacres to ethnically cleanse Serbua went on the run following the fall of the Serbian government in 1995 and was captured last month in Belgrade. Following the arrest, Karadzic pointed a finger at Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who helped broker peace under the Clinton Administration.

Karadzic claims Holbrooke cut him a deal: he wouldn't face charges if he got out of the political game and went into hiding. Holbrooke continually denies those claims.

Regardless, conspiracy theories abound that the CIA spoke with Karadzic directly before his arrest to ensure his silence.

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Can "low culture" and "camp" Eurovision help spread gay love in Serbia?

That's what gay activists in the post-Soviet nation are hoping the song competition kicks of its semi-finals today.

…Activists now see the glitz, media attention and gay tourists coming to Serbia with the Eurovision Song Contest as a big chance to come out again, louder and more confident than before.

"There are no gay celebrities in Serbia, nobody's out," said Predrag Azdejkovic, one of a handful of openly gay Serbs. "Eurovision is so gay, so camp, it'll be a shock to the system."

Like so many other nations of its ilk, Serbia doesn't boast the most inclusive culture. In fact, anti-gay gangs have vowed to attack gays who come to Belgrade for Eurovision.

So, why are these baddies so down on same-sex lovers? Overzealous, exclusionary nationalism, which will surely be no match for glitter and rainbows.

Democratic government's are meant to protect their people. In turn, the people pledge their allegiance. Unfortunately, post-Soviet Serbia's not living up to its promise.

Gay activists hoped to organize a pride march this summer, but say public officials refuse to guarantee their safety. The Queeria Culture and Non-Violence Center's Boban Stojanović held a news conference yesterday and blasted his country's lackluster equality: "In order to realize the freedom of movement that is guaranteed to us by the constitution, we, the homosexuals, need the police protection, which they cannot provide."

Rather than coming out for the queers, coppers reportedly told Stojanović to hire private security companies.

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International news junkies know that Serbian protesters overwhelmed the United States and other embassies yesterday to protest our acknowledgment of Kosovo's independence.

As you can see, the protesters don't have high regard for Western news agencies, either.

We American queers aren't the only ones fighting for a gay-friendly president. Serbia's Gay-Straight Association asked their nine presidential candidates to answer a homo-centric questionnaire. Only four people - none of them likely leaders - took the time to reply:

The questions pertained to anti-discriminatory laws, social distance toward gay persons, violence, and what is seen as the most controversial, same-sex partnerships.

According to the GSA chairman Boris Milićević, who spoke to reporters in Belgrade today, only [Čedomir] Jovanović (pictured) insists on removing all discriminatory provision from existing laws, as well as on instituting "hate crime" into the criminal legislature.

As for social distance, all four presidential hopefuls said they have homosexual acquaintances, without encountering any problems in cooperation or communication.

Jovanović was also the only candidate who believed anti-gay violence to be "widespread". Only inclusive education can eradicate intolerance, he said.