The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgment in the case of Macatė v. Lithuania (application no. 61435/19) at a public hearing on 23 January 2023 in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg. The applicant, Neringa Dangvydė Macatė (1975-2020) was an openly lesbian children’s author who wrote a book titled “Gintarinė širdis”
News / Human Rights
Russia must create a “legal framework” for same-sex couples, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled on 17 January 2023 in Fedotova and Others v. Russia. This also applies to 46 Council of Europe member states, including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Ukraine and others which have not yet adopted an LGBTIQ-inclusive
From 26th to 27th, 2022 Lithuanian lawyers Monika Antanaitytė and attorney-at-law Aivaras Žilvinskas met with the legal experts of the organization Deystvie (Bulgaria) in Bucharest (Romania). The latter are representing applicants in the principal case Baby Sara (European Court of Justice judgement in case No C-490/20) which concerns the recognition of the family rights of LGBTIQ
Riga Pride returns to Latvia this week with the most anticipated March for Freedom on Saturday, 18th of June. Showing support and solidarity to the LGBTQ community in Ukraine, Riga Pride will take place this year together and as part of Kyiv Pride with the message “Until we are all free”. With 40 events throughout
When the war started in Ukraine Olena Globa spent six days in the basement in Kyiv trying to survive during the Russian shelling. In a time of need she received help from the US LGBTQ+ organization PFLAG. Olena was able to flee to the United States where her son lives and is now using every
On 3 June, 2022 the Baltic Pride 2022 International Conference Proud Cities Summit // Lithuanian Diversity Charter Annual Conference was held in partnership with the Lithuanian Diversity Charter at Vilnius Town Hall. “Proud Cities Summit” is an international conference where mayors from Europe and Canada, business, public sector and NGOs representatives gathered to share their
On 21 March, 2022 a peaceful protest near the Lithuanian Parliament in support for same-sex partnership and LGBT equality, initiated by actress Elžbieta Latėnaitė, was held. A crowd of LGBT persons and their allies called for the Law on Partnership not to be removed from the agenda of the Parliament. “I hope that some politicians
Recently one Iraqi man reported to LGL that he will be able to reunite with his same-sex partner as both men were granted an asylum by the Lithuanian authorities in late December, 2021. Only a few asylum applications resulted in positive decisions since in the increased migration flow from August, which leaves the majority of
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique human right mechanism under which the human rights situation of all United Nantions Member States is reviewed every 5 years. 42 States are reviewed each year. Consideration for Lithuania is scheduled on Wednesday, 26 January 2022. LGL contributed to the alternative report joint submission of the Human Rights Organizations Coalition
Lithuania, along with Latvia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia to this day remaining the only European Union Member States without same-sex family rights recognition. Although these countries face multitude of social and political issues which often effectively demotes LGBTIQ equality to political periphery, LGBTIQ communities and their supporters are becoming more vocal than ever before.
While Lithuania still remains among 6 European Union states that do not provide a gender-neutral Partnership alternative, National LGBTI Rights Organization LGL together with the international partners from the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria continue to consolidate their efforts towards establishing a higher standard of protection within the regulation of the European Convention on Human
On September 29, 2021 the National LGBT rights organization LGL organized an international conference “Family Protection and Diversity in a Democratic Society: Problems and Perspectives” at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. The conference addressed the legal and social issues of family diversity and the recognition of LGBTIQ family rights, as well