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
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On 13 June, 2016 the Rainbow InfoPoint and a community space Pride House were officially opened. At the same time the photo exhibition “5 years of struggle” by Romas Melnik, which focuses on modern Russian society were opened and will be on displayed in the Pride House for the entire week. There will also be
Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius has condemned the Orlando shooting, which has seen at least 50 killed and 53 wounded in the biggest mass-shooting in U.S. history. The shooting took place at the gay ‘Pulse’ nightclub in the city of Orlando, Florida, in the early morning of June 12, 2016. The gunman was named as Omar
On 10 June, 2016 the Lithuanian Parliament Seimas held a “Baltic Pride” 2016 press conference “We are people, not propaganda.” During the press conference, organizers and attendees of the “Baltic Pride” 2016 were greeted by Swedish Ambassador to Lithuania H. E. Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, Parliament member Dalia Kuodytė, and editor of the “Baltic Pride” 2016 informational
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
On International Children’s Day, almost eighty nongovernmental organizations urged Lithuanian Parliament members not to change the existing constitutional definition of family, and to develop realistic measures to ensure protection and support for children and families. The NGOs noted that the proposed amendments provide no further benefit to families in Lithuania, but rather the opposite –
6 June was a turning point in the advocacy work of Norway’s trans activists – it marks the final parliamentary vote on long-awaited updates to the legal gender recognition process. Now, trans people in Norway aged 16 and older will have their gender legally recognised without having to be sterilised first. These reforms, based on
In the cozy surroundings of the park, under the trees and sunbeams, a Jazz Bar is hiding. Paviljonas is the place where culture, art and entertainment come together, with a wide variety of events just waiting for you to join. Seeking to celebrate the diversity of the entire LGBT* community, the Pride House will explore
In the last months, the Lithuanian Gay League had the pleasure to keep a great contact with the Association Demetra and is now taking it to the Baltic Pride 2016 community space, reserved for workshops, lectures and exhibitions! Celebrating the recent opening of the HIV Checkpoint together with LGL and other organizations and then involving
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has reiterated his support of marriage rights for same-sex couples throughout the country. Peña wrote in the Huffington Post on June 2 that he announced “a series of initiatives that promote equality” last month during an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia event. These include a proposed amendment to the
Barack Obama has issued a Pride Month proclamation for the final time as President, to mark June as LGBT Pride Month. “Since our founding, America has advanced on an unending path toward becoming a more perfect Union. This journey, led by forward-thinking individuals who have set their sights on reaching for a brighter tomorrow, has
A new app aims to allow pro-LGBTI Russians to take a stand against homophobia, without breaking propaganda laws. The app called Raduga (Russian for ‘rainbow’) predicts when and where rainbows are going to appear. ‘Raduga uses live weather data to predict the formation of rainbows, and sends a you an alert when rainbows are likely