Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius kicks-off the Baltic Pride festival with a video message inviting LGBTIQ people and their allies to celebrate diversity and inclusion together during the inspirational Pride week of June 1-5, 2022.
It is an important welcoming step from the City for the organisers of the Baltic Pride which aims at qualitatively improving public discourse on LGBTIQ issues pertaining both to social and legal spheres through social campaigns, public events, and community initiatives.
“March for Equality is both a celebration of who we are as well as a protest demanding equality for members of the LGBTIQ community. LGL is the host organization of 2022 march which will take place at central Gediminas avenue on June 4th. Our goal is to involve 10.000 participants,“ noted Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of LGL in a press release.
“Recently we have witnessed some visible manifestations of hatred by the emerged anti-gender and anti-LGBTIQ groups vandalizing rainbow signs throughout the city. Hate and discrimination cannot win in Lithuanian capital, love, respect, and acceptance can. So come out and bring your friends to the march and grand final concert at the White Bridge,“ he added.
The main theme of the conference co-hosted with the Lithuanian Diversity Charter will be equality mainstreaming at municipal level. The conference will also explore how socially responsible businesses could contribute to fostering equal opportunities. Representatives of various LGBTI-friendly municipalities including twinned Vilnius and Oslo will meet for a good practice exchange at the Town Hall on June 3rd.
Pride House will provide space for cultural engagement for members of the local LGBTIQ community, allies, and human rights activists. Seeking to celebrate diversity of the entire LGBTIQ community, it will include workshops, discussions, cultural events, concerts, brunch and will also serve as the info point/centre for all pride week events. Pride House will be organized at the famous local alternative cultural spot KABLYS.
We are proud to acknowledge the support of the first official partners: Fund for Bilateral Relations of the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014–2021, Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Lithuania, U.S. Embassy in Lithuania and Telia Lithuania.
