Same-sex Marriage Concluded Abroad Recognized by Appeals Court in Estonia

An appeals court in Estonia has overturned the ruling of a first-tier court and ordered the Harju County Government to enter a marriage concluded between two men in Sweden into the national population register, gay rights nonprofit MTÜ SEKY said on Tuesday, 24 January 2017. In 2015, the county government refused to enter into Estonia’s

Australia Says No to Civil Celebrants Allowed to Reject Same Sex Marriages

92.6% of LGBTI survey respondents are against civil celebrants being exempt from performing same-sex marriages due to religious convictions. A survey of LGBTI Australians reveals concerns about legal discrimination in refusing to perform same-sex marriages. Funded by PFLAG, the survey showed huge opposition among LGBTI Australians to exemptions targeted exclusively at same-sex couples. When asked

Israelian Food Journalist Gil Hovav Visited LGL`s Community Center

Gil Hovav, the leading culinary journalist and TV personality in Israel, visited the LGL`s community centre on January 20, 2017. The event was organized in collaboration with Embassy of Israel in Lithuania. This delightful event provided with an opportunity for LGL`s community members to learn about the situation of LGBT* people in Israel. Israel is

European Parliament Condemns Homophobia in Indonesia

Last Thursday, January 19, 2017 the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it condemns the growing intolerance towards LGBTI people in Indonesia. In the resolution, the European Parliament “strongly condemns all acts of violence, harassment and intimidation against minorities” and “calls on the government and lawmakers to refrain from further restricting the rights of

Hip-Hop Artist Taylor Bennett Comes Out as Bisexual to Mark 21st Birthday

Hip-Hop artist Taylor Bennett who’s the younger brother of Chance the Rapper has come out as bisexual in a series of tweets on Wednesday. Bennett is celebrating his 21st birthday on Thursday and to mark the occasion, he went on social media to tell his fan something few people know about. He wrote on Twitter: ‘My

Sri Lanka Just Took a Decision on Whether to Legalise Homosexuality

Sri Lanka’s top politicians have taken a decision on legalising homosexuality. The cabinet met yesterday to discuss proposals to decriminalise same-sex acts. Currently same-sex acts, by a person of any gender, are illegal under Sri Lankan law. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for any the protection given to married couples. Some private

Nominate your candidates for the Rainbow Appreciation Award 2016!

The Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson and the National Equality and Diversity Forum are organizing the fourth annual National Equality and Diversity Awards. The Awards will honor persons, organizations, projects and initiatives which contributed to the promotion and advancement of equality and diversity in Lithuania in 2016. We invite everyone to present nominations for all

Trans Artist Anohni Nominated for Best British Female Brit Award

Transgender artist Anohni has been nominated for a Best British Female at the BRIT Awards for the album ‘Hopelessness’. The nomination comes 11 years after the artist was nominated for the 2006 Best British Male for her work prior transitioning as Antony Hegarty in Antony and the Johnsons. The 45-year-old said that she had recognised

First American Has ‘Intersex’ Printed on Birth Certificate

‘There’s a power in knowing who you really are.’ Sara Kelly Keenan is the first person in the United States to have an ‘intersex’ birth certificate. The 55-year-old who was born genetically male with female genitalia and a mixed reproductive anatomy only found out about the truth about herself in 2009, at age 48. In

Haters Helped the Polish Gay Couple Gain Permission to Marry in Portugal

A Polish couple who received death threats on their coming out video are getting a sweet taste of revenge, as their haters have made their dreams of marriage a reality. Polish TV presenter and journalist Jakub Kwieciński and his partner David have been granted special permission to get married in Madeira, Portugal. The couple had

Every Tenth Supports Same-Sex Partnership in Lithuania

In the course of four years only a very slight change in Lithuanian citizens’ attitude towards the introduction of same-sex civil partnership in Lithuania was recorded by a public poll commissioned by the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries. According to the poll, only 11 % of Lithuanians support the introduction of same-sex civil partnership in Lithuania,

Outgoing President Barack Obama has delivered a passionate call for equality in his farewell speech. The Democrat, elected President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, has been a proud supporter of LGBT rights, leading a quiet revolution on equality in the US and around the world. He is set to leave power on January 20,