On August 11th, 2016 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania gave approval to the changes proposed by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania to the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania which would legalize civil partnership of opposite-sex couples and further exclude same-sex couples from legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
News / Human Rights
Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity has no place in our society, but for many people in Europe, it is a daily reality. The European Commission is standing against discrimination, against prejudice and against hate. We’re showing Europe that no matter who we love or who we are, we all share
On June 28th, 2016 the Lithuanian Parliament voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, which seeks to eliminate same-sex couples from the ambit of the constitutional concept of family life. 74 MPs voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, 19 MPs voted against and 20 MPs abstained. This vote implicates that no sooner than in
On 17 June, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the Swedish Minister for Culture and Democracy Alice Bah Kuhnke, who came to Vilnius to take part in human rights events and to express support for the Baltic Pride March for Equality on 18 June. Linkevičius hailed the excellent and intensive
On 18th June, 2016 a crowd of 3000 Lithuanian LGBT* community members and their allies participated in the March for Equality on the central avenue in the downtown of Vilnius to celebrate the Baltic Pride 2016, the most important LGBT* (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community event in the Baltic states, organized by the National
Supporters of Baltic Pride 2016 had an opportunity to take part in an exceptional gala dinner, and enjoy a delicious three-course menu alongside first class entertainment. The host, comedian Paulius Ambrazevičius, lead the participants through the evening, which included extraordinary performances by La Diva Live (Belgium) and Ruslanas Kirilkinas (Lithuania), introductions from LGBT* activists, and
The National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL invited to the one-day international human rights conference “Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships: Emerging International Consensus and Local Opportunities”, which has been organized within the framework of the Baltic Pride 2016 events on 17 June 2016. It was organized with the view of discussing the international and European movement
The National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL invited to the Baltic Pride 2016 cultural event “Pride Voices”, which took place on June 16th, 2016 at the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theater. During the “Pride Voices” event internationally distinguished LGBT* people and allies shared their personal testimonies within the broader struggle for LGBT* equality. The list of speakers
On 14 June, 2016 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania and ambassadors residing in Lithuania publicly expressed their support for the local LGBT* community and Baltic Pride 2016 March for Equality in Vilnius. Four embassies of countries with European Union membership – Poland, Hungary, Romania and Greece – abstained from contributing.
Journalist Eglė Digrytė converses with the participant of the Baltic Pride 2016 cultural event “Pride Voices” LGBT* activist from Uganda Wamala Dennis Mawejje. – What does it mean to be a gay person in Uganda where homosexuality is illegal? – Being a gay in Uganda means living with the constant reality that you may end
Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, still recalls the period when homosexual relations between men were considered a criminal act in Soviet Lithuania. In addition to these romantic memories of the sunny beaches of Palanga, there were also difficult changes during the first years of independence – this state of
Lithuanian Non-governmental youth, human rights and women’s organizations appealed to Audronė Pitrėnienė, the Minister of Education of the Republic of Lithuania, about an upcoming sexuality education program which, in their stated opinion, is unsuitable for today’s reality and lacks scientific basis. As the letter addressed to Minister of Education Audronė Pitrėnienė reads, the draft program