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 performed during the Rainbow Days 2017 festive event.

The guests of the event were welcomed by Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of LGL, Agneta Skardžiuvienė, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson of the Republic of Lithuania, Remigijus Šimašius, Vilnius City Mayor, Darius Skusevičius, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, and H. E. Anne Hall, U.S. ambassador to Lithuania. The event was attended by MPs, representatives of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius City Municipality, foreign diplomatic missions in Lithuania, non-governmental organizations and members of the local LGBT* community.

On March 12, 2017 between 04.00 P.M. and 11.00 P.M., in celebration of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), the pillars of the Vilnius Town Hall were lit up in rainbow colors. The initiative aimed to demonstrate that Vilnius is an open and tolerant European city.

© Orestas Gurevičius, delfi.lt

The Rainbow Days 2017 celebrations, organized by the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, also include a traditional Rainbow Bus journey in the streets of Vilnius, protest next to the Embassy of the Russian Federation, cultural events, Eurovision party, discussions, quizzes and an awareness raising campaign in Lithuania’s major cities.

© Augustas Didžgalvis