Maximum, one of ILGA-Europe’s eleven member organisations in Russia, has been fined for failing to register as a so-called ‘foreign agent’. Under the infamous 2012 law, any organisation engaging in ‘political activity’ and who receives funds from abroad must register as a ‘foreign agent’ with the Russian Ministry of Justice. At a court hearing yesterday
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A large majority in the Upper Chambre indicated they were in favour of the abolition of the ‘enkele-feitconstructie’ during debate on 3 March. The legal provision allows religious schools to dismiss, refuse or send away lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers and pupils. The proposal for abolition will be voted on next week. With this decision
On 19-22 February 2014 two LGL representatives participated in a Kick-Off Meeting in Warsaw (Poland) for the project ‘Accommodating the needs of the victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes – raising the competences of law-enforcement institutions’, co-funded by the European Commission. The project is aimed at diagnosing specific needs of the aforementioned victims in
International Women’s Day will be celebrated on the 8th of March. Also called International Working Women’s Day, it is a holiday celebrated worldwide, honoring working women and women’s struggles internationally. The celebration was for first time conceived to remember two all women strikes which took place in the United States, one that happened on the
A group of ‘no-homo’ activists is trying to kill off EuroPride 2015, due to be held in Riga, Latvia. Calling themselves ‘Anti-Globalists’ (Antiglobālisti), the homophobic activists appear to have found a way to ensure the Pride event for Europe will not happen on its scheduled date of 20 June and may not happen at all.
On February 25th – March 1st, 2015 four representatives of the national LGBT* rights association LGL participated in the fifth partners’ meeting in the course of Grundtvig Learning Partnership “Queer Pathways into Diversity: ‘Being Different’ as a Key Factor in LGBT*Q European Adult Education (QuPiD)” in the Republic of Malta. During their visit, the LGL’s
Russia is furious that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon ordered that all UN employees in legally recognized relationships should have equal partner benefits regardless of where they are working. The Russian Government has warned it may intervene at the United Nations to stop gay and lesbian employees of the UN receiving equal partner benefits
In its annual report concerning the state of human rights throughout the world, the international non-governmental organization Amnesty International criticized Lithuania’s violation of LGBT* rights. “The law designed for the ‘protection of minors’ against the detrimental effect of public information violates the freedom of self-expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people,” states the
Between the 26th of February and the 1st of March our EVS volunteers (Alice and Adam) participated in on-arrival training in the Lithuanian countryside, many miles from civilization… in Molėtai. Despite the remote location of the training, the accommodation was cozy, warm and provided an ideal environment for the activities that followed later. Participants had
On February 4th, 2015 lawmakers in Slovenia extended all marriage rights, including adoption, to gay couples by a vote of 51 to 28, with five absentations. The measure passed in the Slovenian Parliament by a 51-28 vote margin. United Left MP Matej Vatovec said parliamentary support ensured Slovenia would become a ‘truly tolerant and inclusive
The national LGBT* rights organization’s LGL Board Chair Vladimir Simonko has been honoured with a nomination for the International Award at Ireland’s LGBT* awards ceremony, “The Galas 2015.” This award is given for activism in the field of LGBT* rights in countries where the LGBT* community most often faces discrimination. The National Irish LGBT* Federation
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry formally introduced Randy Berry as the special U.S. envoy to promote global LGBT rights on February 27, 2015. “We have a moral obligation to speak out against the persecution and the marginalization of LGBT persons,” said Kerry during a State Department reception where he formally introduced Berry. “The United