An impulse for a dialogue in meetings on the legal situation of transgender people in Lithuania

The invisibility of the legal problems of transgender people in Lithuania inspired national LGBT* rights organization LGL and organization “Transgender Europe” (TGEU) to hold a series of public events “Being Trans* in Europe – Attitudes, Perspectives and Challenges” on the 27th-28th of August 2014 at the premises of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The Europe-wide Campaign “Access All Areas! Gender Recognition Opens Doors” was presented, followed by a panel discussion with distinguished international and local human rights experts on the 27th of August 2014. Issues discussed in public meetings ranged from international law to personal experiences of transgender individuals and their families.

Executive Director of association LGL Vladimir Simonko delivered a presentation at EIGE on the most vulnerable group of people in the LGBT* community on the 28th of August 2014. The personal perspective of the legal challenges was disclosed by Oskaras, who represented transgender people of Lithuania in sharing his personal experience. Oskaras stressed the legal, emotional and financial insecurities of transgender people.

Still a series of public events “Being Trans* in Europe – Attitudes, Perspectives and Challenges” gave an impulse for a lively debate among a variety of policy and decision makers, representatives of non-governmental organizations and transgender people.