The Chair of Lithuanian Gay League will participate in a tour of the United States on a US State Department-sponsored program entitled “Advocating for Human and Civil Rights for the LGBT Community”. The program is part of the State Department’s ongoing efforts to promote human rights for LGBT people around the world. LGBT activists from across Europe have been chosen to take part in the tour with the aim to learn about U.S. initiatives to promote and protect the human rights of the LGBT community, explore legislative and political perspectives on ensuring LGBT rights, and gain insight into how organisations advocate for LGBT rights.

Participants in the program, which takes place 24 September to 12 October, will visit Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Dallas and San Francisco. In Washington D.C. the programme will include visits to various federal agencies, local municipal bodies and non-governmental organisations to discuss effective advocacy strategies. In Minneapolis the focus will be on combating bullying of LGBT youth, and in Dallas meetings will be held with various authorities and political and other actors to discuss LGBT health, law enforcement, and the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. The tour will end in San Francisco, where the program focuses on LGBT historical and cultural preservation, advocacy, education, and advancing the civil and human rights of LGBT people through litigation.

In addition to visits and professional meetings, the group will have the opportunity to participate in events to mark Tarrant County Gay Pride in Texas and National Coming Out Day.