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

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

NEDF organized an international seminar on human rights principles and religious values

In order to seek for a constructive dialogue between LGBT* people and religious communities, the member organizations of the National Equality and Diversity Forum (NEDF), including the national LGBT* rights organization LGL, in collaboration with European Network on Religion and Belief organized an international seminar-discussion “Religion, traditional values and human rights” on the 11th of

Parliament demands EU action on LGBTI rights

On 8th September the European Parliament adopted a new comprehensive report on fundamental rights in the EU. Defying an attempt by the EPP group to adopt an alternative report which would have deleted nearly all content on LGBTI rights and other relevant human rights issues, the final report includes an extensive section of the situation for

Bangladesh gets first lesbian comic strip

Bangladesh’s first comic strip featuring a young lesbian discovering her sexuality has been launched in the capital to raise awareness of the plight of gays in the conservative Muslim-majority nation.   Boys of Bangladesh, the country’s largest gay rights group, on Saturday night launched “Dhee”, the Bengali word for intellect or wisdom. “By creating Dhee,

On the 3d of September, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received an official letter from the United Nations, International Organizations and Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, informing about Lithuania’s position in the U.N. Security Council meeting on the 24th of August, 2015. In response

EVS Volunteer at EuroPride: My Experience

From the 15th to the 21st of June, EuroPride historically took place in Riga. I am speaking of history due to the unique and singular characterization of the event: EuroPride took place in a post-Soviet country for the first time. This marked a break in the wall, which was done in a peaceful and colorful

On the 27th of August, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received a decision by the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office terminating a pre-trial investigation on hateful online comments inciting discrimination against homosexual persons. LGL applied to the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor‘s Office on the grounds of the article 170(2) of the Criminal Code of the

On the 25th of August, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL applied to the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language with a request to clarify the meaning of a term “pederast”, commonly used to insult the members of the LGBT* community, and present an Lithuanian equivalent to an English term queer. The consultants of

On the 18th of August, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL addressed the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in solidarity with Ukrainian LGBT* community. The association LGL expressed its grave concern over the events that took place in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, on the 12th-15th of August, 2015 and urged the Government

“Freedom House”: Lithuanian LGBT community remains discriminated

Non-governmental organization “Freedom House” in its report “Freedom in the World 2015” paid attention to LGBT rights issues. According to the annual report, LGBTI rights remain a polarizing and highly controversial issue. Deputies submitted several antigay bills in 2014. In particular, Rimantas Dagys of the TS-LKD and Petras Gražulis of the TT submitted several anti-gay

LGL Appeals before the Strasbourg Human Rights Court

On August 13th, 2015 the National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL applied before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) under violations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) regarding limitations of access to available effective remedies against homophobic hate speech in Lithuania. An official complaint states that the Lithuanian authorities have violated the Convention