Today a majority of the members of the Committee on Legal Affairs of Lithuanian Parliament voted for the „improvement“ of  legislative amendment which seeks to establish harsh fines for the „propagation of homosexual relations in the public“. The author of the anti-gay law, MP Petras Grazulis now has unlimited time to come up with a

Lithuanian conservative parliamentarians led by the chairman of the Committee on Health Affairs registered a proposal to amend the Civil Code with a prohibition of gender reassignment surgery yesterday. The members of the Seimas who submitted this draft amendment to the Civil Code state that if the permission to undergo gender reassignment surgery is replaced

by Em Šaras Wednesday, February 23, 2011 VILNUS, Lithuania: National, non-governmental organization Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) has been barred from participation in the round table discussion held by Lithuanian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the Belarusian democratic opposition and human rights issues. After answering the invitation for NGOs to take part in the discussion to

On January 20, the association LGL (Lithuanian Gay League) appealed to the President of the Republic of Lithuania and the Prime Minister encouraging them to form an interdepartmental work group for the preparation of an action plan for implementation of the requirements laid down in the Council of Europe recommendations. The national advocacy association which

On January 20, Virginija Baltraitienė, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, participated in the “Daily Question’ programme on Ziniu radijas (News Radio) and commented on the recent resolution adopted by the European Parliament regarding discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in Lithuania. The politician did not agree with the concern expressed by the members of

BRUSSELS, 25 January 2011 — Today the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, representing the 27 EU governments until July 2011, failed to outline any plan for action against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in their 6-month presidency. Socialist and Liberal Members of the European Parliament asked the Hungarian

European Parliament debated the violation of freedom of expression and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday. During the discussion members of EP asked for consideration of the proposed amendments to the Lithuanian Code of Administrative Offences introducing an offence of ‘promotion of homosexual relations’ punishable with a fine

European Parliament will debate with the Commission on freedom of expression and homophobia in Lithuania on January 18 at the evening session. The discussion concerns mainly the  recent  proposal for amendments to the  Lithuanian Code of Administrative Offences, but also by extension the law on protection of minors from detrimental information, and the law on

By Emily Šaras Despite its status as a Member State of the European Union and pressure from the European Commission, Lithuania is actively working to decrease tolerance and equality within its legal administrative code.  It has only been two decades since Lithuania’s establishment of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and Lithuania still struggles

At its meetingon 8 December 2010, the Committee of Education, Science and Culture approved the suggestion of Seimas members G. Songaila, V. M. Čigriejienė, R. Kupčinskas, A. Stancikienė and K. Uoka to delete the concept of equal opportunities from the draft Law on the Amendment of the Law on Education, because equal opportunities also include

Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) presented its updated report on Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in the European Union. The FRA report reveals that in some EU Member States, legislation and practice is increasing the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons,

On 26 November International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) addressed President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Speaker of the Seimas Irena Degutienė, Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs Stasys Šedbaras, Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights Arminas Lydeka, Minister of Justice Remigijus Šimašius and Ombudsperson Aušrinė Burneikienė with a legal analysis on the