“Rainbow Days” 2017: Quiz in Vilnius

On May 17th, 2017 in celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), the National LGBT* rights organization LGL and the Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson of the Republic of Lithuania invited to the “Rainbow Days” 2017 Quiz in Vilnius in a bar “Peronas”. Who are the “famous” LGBT* people? What is

Lithuania First Country to Grant Asylum to Gay Men Escaping Chechnya

Lithuania has become one of the first countries to give refuge to men fleeing Chechnya because of their sexuality. It was revealed in April that the Chechen government was detaining, torturing and even killing gay and bisexual men. Lithuania’s foreign minister, Linas Linkevičius, confirmed his government granted asylum to two men. ‘I can confirm that

Lesbian Mother Granted ‘Husband’s Rights’ in Landmark Case

A lesbian woman has been granted “husband’s rights” in a land mark case heard in Tennessee. Erica and Sabrina Witt, from Knoxville, were married and had a child together that Sabrina carried with the help of a sperm donor. However, when the couple split Erica has little legal standing in obtaining custody because she never

Rainbow Bus: Protest Held Next to the Embassy of the Russian Federation

On 13th May, 2017 in order to draw the attention to the persecution and serious human rights violations against LGBT* people in Chechnya (Russian Federation), the National LGBT* rights organization LGL organized a protest next to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vilnius (Lithuania). To demonstrate solidarity with homosexual persons who were terrorized by

Vilnius Town Hall Goes Rainbow for IDAHOT

On May 12th, 2017 the National LGBT* rights organization LGL together with foreign diplomatic missions in Lithuania and supporters organized a festive Rainbow Days 2017 event at the Vilnius Town Hall to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). The French drag queen LaDiva Live and Lithuanian singers Ruslanas Kirilkinas and Valerija Iljinaitė

Tormentors in Cechnya Should be Punished

The news from Chechnya, where gay and bi-sexual men are being tortured in concentration camps, have made many world leaders react strongly. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel has protested to Russian president Vladimir Putin and more leaders of the free world have also mouthed their protest. But where does the Icelandic government stand in this

Rainbow Days 2017 Festive Event to be Held at Vilnius Town Hall

On March 12, 2017 the National LGBT* rights organization LGL together with foreign diplomatic missions in Lithuania is organizing a festive Rainbow Days 2017 event at the Vilnius Town Hall to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). During the Rainbow Days 2017 festive event, persons distinguished for their contributions to LGBT* rights

Indonesia Faces the United Nations on LGBTI Issues

Things have been going backwards for LGBTI Indonesians since last year. Indonesia faced up to intense scrutiny from its fellow United Nations member states. This week Indonesia underwent its  3rd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN

On 9th May, 2017 the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, together with Vilnius Univerity’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science, and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, member of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, invited to a discussion on Partnership Law in Lithuania. The institute of partnership is important not only to same-sex couples, but also

The Rainbow Bus: Protest next to the Embassy of the Russian Federation

In order to draw the attention to the persecution and serious human rights violations against LGBT* people in Chechnya (Russian Federation), the National LGBT* rights organization LGL is organizing a protest next to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vilnius (Lithuania). To demonstrate solidarity with homosexual persons who were terrorized by the Chechen leader

On May 9, the Rainbow Days 2017 billboard campaign has been displayed in the public places of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. The campaign is organized by the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, in attempt to draw attention to discrimination against LGBT* people and encourage LGBT* people to speak up when faced with discrimination. Posters with

South Korea ‘Witch-Hunt’ for Gay Soldiers Must End, Campaigners Say

Campaigners are calling on a witch-hunt for gay soldiers to end immediately. According to campaign group the Military Human Rights Center for Korea (MHRCK), General Jang Jun-kyu, army chief of staff in South Korea launched a “track-down process” to find and out suspected gay personnel. This included setting up fake profiles on dating apps to