Montenegro's LGBT activists condemned lawmakers on Thursday for failing to pass a bill that would have legalised same-sex civil unions in the Balkan state, where discrimination remains a reality for gay couples.
"All those who did not support the law publicly humiliated us. But we will not bow our heads," Danijel Kalezic, president of Queer Montenegro, said in reaction to the failed vote.
He told AFP that "despite significant progress, we continue to be subjected to violence and discrimination".
The bill had called for granting the same rights to same-sex couples in civil unions as those enjoyed by married heterosexual couples - except for the ability to adopt children.
In the vote late Wednesday, which was boycotted by the opposition, only 38 of 81 members of parliament approved the legislation.
The law was proposed by the government but did not get support from minority lawmakers in the ruling coalition. It is scheduled for another hearing in October.
Online, some social media users slammed the parliament as "disgraceful".
"We should be humans and respect human rights no matter how different we are," wrote one person, Ana, on social media.
The country's Ombudsman, who is tasked with protecting human rights, also condemned the outcome, which "postponed not only the adoption of the law, but also the awareness... of society and the state on the need for equality for members of the LGBTQ community".
While tolerance has inched up in recent years, there is still a strong strain of conservatism in the tiny country of 650,000, which aspires to join the European Union.
Seventy per cent of Montenegrins considered homosexuality a disease when the country's first Gay Pride march was organised in 2013, an event marred by clashes with hooligans.
Today, 47% believe that the rights of members of the LGBT community are not fully respected, according to a survey by the Centre for Civic Education.
However, some 45% still say they are against public expression of affection among same-sex couples in public, the survey found.