Lithuanian Parliament Rejects Civil Partnership Bill

On October 14th, 2015 the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania rejected a bill on registered partnership that had been drafted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania and proposed to introduce the institution of registered partnership for different-sex couples. 27 members of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania voted in

Report: Workshop on International Bisexual Visibility Day at LGL

As every year since 1999, on 23rd October occurred the Bisexual Visibility Day that heads to recognize and celebrate bisexuality and to preserve and mark its differences from other LGBT* groups. This year the LGL celebrated it with the “Bi Creative” workshop – which was not, as one might think, only about freeing the mind

Survey: 50 % of Lithuanians do not support equal rights for LGB people

On the 1st of October, 2015 the European Commission (EC) published the results of the latest Eurobarometer survey “Discrimination in the EU in 2015”. 27718 respondents from the European Union (EU) (including 1004 respondents from Lithuania) took part in the survey that has been conducted from May 30 to June 8, 2015. Lithuanian respondents indicated

Married Same-sex Couple Confused Lithuanian Migration Officers

The specialists of the Migration Department at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania encountered an unusual situation – a man from Belarus handed a request to temporarily stay in Lithuania. He expects to get a permit, and, according to the law, a citizen of another country is permitted to legally stay in

Report: Workshop on Intersex at LGL

“What is Intersex?” This is the question the workshop of the 17th of September began with. Through Annemarie and Elena, the LGL dealt with the most hidden letter of the LGBTI* community: the “I”. After a quick introduction of everyone the group delved into the evening‘s topic: “Myths and Facts” about intersex people. For a

Silver Rainbow – Let older LGBTI people shine

On 1 October 2015, we will celebrate the 25th annual UN International Day of Older Persons.   Leading up to 1 October, ILGA-Europe will be running ‘Silver Rainbow’ – a social media campaign to highlight life experiences of older LGBTI people. What is Silver Rainbow? The campaign aims to raise awareness of the specific needs

European LGBT advocates offer assistance to refugees

Jure Poglajen, a Slovenian dentist, and his partner of more than four years last month spent two weeks on the Greek island of Lesbos.   The couple had gone to the town of Molyvos, which is on the island’s northern coast, for what Poglajen described as a “normal vacation.” The two men soon found themselves

Intersex Surgeries Are A Human Rights Violation, Says U.N. Group

Last week the United Nations convened its first meeting to address the issue of human rights violations against people with ambiguous genitalia, also known as intersex. The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights meeting, held in Geneva, builds off a 2013 report by the U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on Torture calling on the

Bi-Visibility Day and Bi-Awareness Week: Time to Celebrate!

September is not only the month of the first yellow leafs on trees and the beginning of school; September is the month of Bisexuality Visibility Day and Bi-Sexuality Awareness Week! Let’s go a bit more in depth into the topic and discover more about these two very important events within the LGBT* agenda. What is

Lithuanian Motorcycle Club: “No Women, Homosexuals and Perverts Allowed”

“No women, homosexuals and perverts allowed,” states a website of one Lithuanian motorcycle club. The Ombudsperson of the Equal Opportunities Agneta Lobačevskytė claims that the regulations of private clubs may not be investigated by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson of the Republic of Lithuania. Meanwhile the bikers from the latter motorcycle club do

Lithuanian Parliament to Prohibit Joint Adoption by Same-sex Couples

On September 15th, 2015 the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania placed an amendment to the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of Child of the Republic of Lithuania, prohibiting an “adoption of Lithuanian citizens by same-sex couples”, on its agenda for the autumn’s session. The legislative motion was introduced by a

The Vicious Circle: Psychologists’ Studios and Fear of Being Stigmatized

Where can victims of domestic and dating violence seek for help or support in Lithuania? From an analysis of interviews taken from LBT* women of the local community, the answer keeps repeating itself: to psychologists and never to police. However, are psychologists in this country trained to deal with LGBT* issues? I asked this question