In a gala ceremony on the 28th of April, 2015, the 2014 National Equality and Diversity Awards were handed out to individuals, organizations and initiatives that contributed most to promoting equality and diversity in Lithuania. The annual event was organized by the National Equality and Diversity Forum, including the national LGBT* rights organization LGL, alongside

On the 29th of April, 2015 the EU Court of Justice (EUCJ) ruled that permanently banning men who have had sex with men (MSM) from blood donation, may be justified, depending on the situation in the country. The case got to the EU Court after Mr Léger, a French national, was refused blood donation on

LGL Co-organized the 2014 National Equality and Diversity Awards

On the 28th of April, 2015, the member organizations of the National Equality and Diversity Forum, including the national LGBT* rights organization LGL, alongside the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania organized the 2014 National Equality and Diversity Awards in Vilnius, which honoured Lithuania’s most notable individuals, organizations and initiatives in the field

Northern Ireland Assembly rejects same-sex marriage

Politicians in Stormont have voted against same-sex marriage for the fourth time. The Northern Irish Assembly was discussing same-sex marriage today, after three failed attempts to enact the law. Today’s motion on equal marriage, proposed by Sinn Féin, failed by two votes, with 47 in favour and 49 against. However, same-sex marriage continues to be

Thousands march for gay marriage in Tokyo

Pride festival is extended by two days amid surge in interest in LGBTI issues. Some 3,000 LGBTI people and their allies Sunday (26 April) afternoon marched in Tokyo Rainbow Pride amid calls for Japan to legalize gay marriage. The crowd, many waving rainbow flags and dressed as geishas, paraded through the capital’s entertainment and shopping

Proposed law in Uganda could be used to shut down all pro-gay charities

A new law has been drafted in Uganda that could be used to ban all pro-gay charities and LGBT rights groups. The country’s new Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill would give the government the ability to approve, inspect, and dissolve all community groups and NGOs based on a number of criteria – as well as to impose harsh fines. One

University to offer the UK’s first ‘Drag Studies’ course

Edge Hill University is to become the first higher education institution in the UK to offer a course dedicated to the art of drag. Performing arts students at the University will be able to study the ‘Drag Kings and Drag Queens of Performance’ from next year, after a ground-breaking new course was approved. The third-year module will consider a variety

Invisible Shadow of Domestic and Dating Violence in the Lesbian Community

Data provided by the EuroBarometer Report by the European Commission showed that five years ago almost 43% of women in Lithuania were victims of domestic and dating violence. Despite the lack of research on the topic, the number of women victims of domestic and dating violence is expected to have increased in recent time. However,

Lithuanian Transgender Entertainer Experienced Transphobia in a Gym in Vilnius

Women exercising together with the Lithuanian transgender entertainer Agness Landau in a Vilnius gym did not wish to change their clothes in the same locker room. The gym, which has locker rooms for both women and men, refused to comment upon the situation to Lithuanian TV journalists. However, the spokesperson of a gym claimed that

Mexican Supreme Court rules against marriage ban

The Mexican Supreme Court on Wednesday announced it had found a laws banning same-sex marriage are “discriminatory.” A strongly-worded statement the court posted to its website said the majority of the judges who considered a case that challenged portions of the state of Sinaloa’s family code defining marriage between a man and a woman found

Micro Rainbow International secures funding through the European Union for a three-year project to help lift LGBTI people in Brazil out of poverty. Not-for-profit social enterprise Micro Rainbow International (MRI) has announced that is has received funding from the European Union for a three-year project to help alleviate poverty among the LGBTI communities in Brazil.

Since the major political parties in Lithuania – Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the The Labour Party – are in the process of electing their new leaders, the LGBT* community in Lithuania demands a change in the management bodies of the latter parties. The representatives of the