In July, 2014 the Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vilija Aleknaite Abramikienė expressed her skeptical attitude on equal rights and opportunities in Europe by publishing a disturbing article in the biggest Lithuanian news portal delfi.lt. According to Ms. Abramikienė, “a reckless parade of “equality” turns into a destructive invasion of human nature”. It seems that the Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, whose role should be fostering the development of democracy and the resolution of conflicts, clearly stands at the crossroads.

This personal position by Ms. Abramikienė was further confirmed in the Lithuanian Parliament as the politician voted in favor of removing the prohibition of sexual harassment at work from the Law on Equal Opportunities of Men and Women. However, this position comes with a little surprise as Ms. Abramikinienė continuously voices her opposition against LGBT* rights, sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality issues on the national level.

The national LGBT* rights organization LGL expresses its grave concern over the remarks by Ms. Abramikienė, as these statements stand in a clear contrast with the OSCE’s mission in promoting human rights and democracy as the main precondition for security and cooperation in Europe.

The full article my Ms. Abramikienė can be found here. (in Lithuanian)