The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania Juozas Bernatonis (Social Democratic Party) has proposed to register a bill that would introduce registered partnerships only for different-sex couples. According to the Minister of Justice, many unmarried couples today are living together in Lithuania; thus there is a pressing need to regulate this “widespread form
News / LGBT Guide LT / From Lithuania
On the 28th of May, 2015 Poland has rejected civil unions for the fourth time. The parliament voted to table the discussion of the proposed law which would allow same-sex couples to have similar rights to opposite-sex married couples. Less than a third of MPs, 146, voted for the discussion, with 215 voting against. 24
Lithuania’s performance at the Eurovision semifinals, which took place on the evening of May 28th, 2015, featured two same-sex kisses and has attracted a great deal of support from the international media and the LGBT* community. The LGBT* news service pinknews.co.uk reports that Eurovision fans worldwide are celebrating the performance of Vaidas Baumila and Monika
Although the entirety of Lithuania travels to Klaipėda every summer anyways, the national LGBT* rights organization LGL paid the city an extra visit. Klaipėda has always had its queer charm with its boats, waves and mist shining in the sun. Our friends by the sea have always been more beautiful and liberal! On May 20th,
Building Bridges, the motto of the “Eurovision” Song Contest, is all about uniting the east and west. Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities from this year’s host country, Austria, and abroad used the opportunity of the world’s biggest LGBT-friendly music event to make the statement that Europe must improve the rights of its
Every spring, as the breeze carries fresh green leaves, the longest rainbow flag in the country waves proudly. On May 19th, the national LGBT* rights organization LGL brought the events of Rainbow Days 2015 to Kaunas. LGL invited the public to the LGBT* Myth Busters Workshop and a Rainbow Days film screening. At 16:00 on
I’m happy about the success of Lithuania’s performance on the 21st of May, 2015. I returned from Strasbourg to Brussels in time to watch the duo’s Eurovision performance together with all of Lithuania. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to vote from Belgium, but I definitely did during the finals. However, the joy of making it into
On the 16th of May, 2015, the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received a notice from the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania stating that the company ‘Julturas’ violated Article 8, Part 1 of the Law on Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Lithuania by refusing to rent a bus to LGL
On Thursday May 21st, Vaidas Baumila and Monika Linkytė, the representatives of Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest, performed in the Austrian capital Wien scoring a Eurovision first with not one, but two same-sex couple sharing a kiss on stage. Watched by millions of television across the world, singers Vaidas and Monika opened the show
No cultural, traditional or religious values can justify hate crimes against LGBT* people. Such was the basis of the third international forum for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), which was held in Montenegro and serves as a message to European governments. The event was organized by the Montenegrin government, which was represented
A Latvian journalist has felt the wrath of the Lithuanian president after asking several questions that “have not been agreed upon”. The president insistently, and rather gracelessly, refused to answer questions about LGBT* rights in Lithuania. In the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, journalist Gundars Reders of Latvia’s LTV channel interviewed President
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people remain among the most vulnerable in Lithuanian society; however, Lithuania displays a striking lack of political will with respect to creating and implementing the policies and legislation needed to combat this issue. Furthermore, it is clear that the Inter-Institutional Action Plan on Non-Discrimination for 2015-2020 (adopted on January 28th,