On 12th November, 2020 the European Commission presented the first-ever EU Strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality, as announced by President von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union Address. While progress in the EU was made towards LGBTIQ equality over the past years, discrimination against LGBTIQ
- A Message of Support for the Belarusian LGBTI Community: Freedom and Justice will Prevail
- Embassies in Vilnius Raised the Rainbow Flag in Honour of IDAHOT
- EU LGBTI Survey: LGBTI Human Rights Situation in Lithuania Remains Poor
- Rainbow Europe 2020 Map: LGBTI Rights Situation in Lithuania Remains Stagnant
- Decade of Baltic Pride in Lithuania: How was the first LGBT community march reflected in the media?
A Message of Support for the Belarusian LGBTI Community: Freedom and Justice will Prevail
The National LGBT rights organization LGL would like send a message of support for the Belarusian LGBTI community during these challenging times. The regime of the bloody Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko will not prevail as Belarusian people fearlessly demand free elections despite continuous human rights violations. LGL has long-time partnership with Belarusian LGBTI human rights
Embassies in Vilnius Raised the Rainbow Flag in Honour of IDAHOT
On the 17th of May, 2020 LGBT-friendly embassies in Vilnius raised the rainbow flag to honour the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and biphobia (IDAHOT) and to show their support for the local LGBT community. The rainbow flag decorated the embassies of the United States, Sweden, Germany, Finland, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Denmark and
EU LGBTI Survey: LGBTI Human Rights Situation in Lithuania Remains Poor
On 14th of May, 2020 the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released its LGBTI survey findings – the world’s biggest survey of its kind with 140 000 respondents. Survey results revealed an alarming situation in Lithuania: Lithuanian respondents admitted always (14 %) or almost always (20 %) feeling downhearted or depressed. Moreover, 55 %
Rainbow Europe 2020 Map: LGBTI Rights Situation in Lithuania Remains Stagnant
Eleventh ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map revealed that in almost half of the European states, including Lithuania, there was no positive change in the field of LGBTI Human rights compared to the 2019 results. Evelyne Paradis, Executive Director of ILGA Europe, stated: “Amidst the public health emergency and economic turmoil we are facing, there is a crisis
Decade of Baltic Pride in Lithuania: How was the first LGBT community march reflected in the media?
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Baltic Pride festival in Lithuania. On the occasion of this anniversary, it is interesting to remember how the first LGBT community march, which took place in Vilnius on May 8, 2010, was presented in Lithuanian media. According to an article by Darja Davydova written for publication “Changing
From the 21st until the 28th of November the Latvian Drag King Collective is organizing the Baltic Online Drag King Festival 2020 featuring workshops, discussions and live performances. The Baltic Online Drag King festival aims to invite more people to try the performance art of drag kinging and to educate society about drag and its
After obtaining European Court of the Human Rights (ECtHR) permission to indirectly participate in the international judicial proceedings, National LGBT rights organization LGL submitted the Amicus Curiae brief in the ECtHR case Buhuceanu and Ciobotaru v. Romania, brought by 26 Romanian applicants regarding human rights violations resulting from insufficient same-sex family rights recognition. Third Party
Parliamentary elections will be held in Lithuania on the 11 October, 2020 and current pre-electoral promises reflect the possibility of some positive future developments for the Lithuanian LGBT community. According to lrt.lt findings, 5 to 7 parties are in favour of same-sex family relationship recognition, namely Liberty Party, Liberal Movement, Social Democrats, Lithuanian Green Party (not
On September 24-27, representatives of the National LGBT rights organization LGL visited Norway, where they attended meetings with representatives of various Oslo institutions and non-governmental organizations. LGL representatives met with Rowena B. Teodocio, Head of the Diversity and Integration Division of the Social and Welfare Services Agency of Oslo, Ole Prin-Sand from Oslo Pride Art,
On 1st September, 2020 the National LGBT rights organization LGL launched an emotional support platform for LGBT students who face bullying. The platform was launched on the National day of Science and Knowledge and is also useful for teachers and parents. “On the occasion of the National Day of Science and Knowledge, it is especially
The National LGBT rights organization LGL would like send a message of support for the Belarusian LGBTI community during these challenging times. The regime of the bloody Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko will not prevail as Belarusian people fearlessly demand free elections despite continuous human rights violations. LGL has long-time partnership with Belarusian LGBTI human rights
Gediminas Kirkilas, long-time member of the Lithuanian Parliament, head of the ruling Social Democrat and Labour Party said that “there are more and more people who live out of wedlock, have children, and, in case of separation, mostly women suffer <…>. All other partnerships, as you can imagine, would not really get through current Parliament,
In 2018 United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee made recommendations CCPR/C/LTU/CO/4 to Lithuania to improve the situation of LGBTI people. Along with recommendations made to Belize, Bulgaria, Honduras, Mongolia and Sudan, these recommendations were considered by the Committee as urgent. In accordance to the official deadline and procedure, national LGBT rights organization LGL submitted an alternative report on
On 1st July, 2020 the National LGBT rights organization LGL together with the Swedish organization Friends organized an online seminar for volunteers of LGL‘s emotional support platform. During the seminar, Henrik Karlsson, Research and Development Manager at Friends, presented LGL‘s volunteers’ the best practices in dealing with bullying. Friends’ research and development manager Henrik Karlsson
National LGBT rights organization LGL commemorated Pride Month together with the champion of human rights H.E. Ambassador of Sweden Ms. Maria Christina Lundqvist who is going to finish her assignment in Lithuania soon after four intense and fruitful years. Swedish Embassy supported the Pride Voices Gala event which took place in June, 2019 which was
Already being among some of the most vulnerable groups, transgender community in Lithuania faces yet another threat: recently established Christian party, openly inspired by the current developments in Hungary, declared its intent to prohibit legal gender recognition procedures (LGR). Although more than 12 years has passed since the landmark ECtHR ruling in L. vs. Lithuania
