On Wednesday May 16th, the eve of the International Day against Hompophobia and Transphobia, a press conference in Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) introduced the book “Changing Faces – First March for LGBT Equality in Lithuania” and gave the media a chance to discuss LGBT rights in Lithuania. Petras Gražulis, homophobic Member of Parliament, also used this chance in his distinctive aggressive way.
The press conference was organized by social democratic Member of Parliament Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė and the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL). Other speakers were Political-Economic Chief at the Embassy of the United States John Finkbeiner, Dutch ambassador Kornel Spaans, Chair of the Tolerant Youth Association Artūras Rudomanskis and Helle Jacobsen from Amnesty International Denmark. The introduced book “Changing Faces” focuses on media coverage of the first Baltic Pride 2010 in Lithuania and presents articles and photos of this peaceful assembly of LGBT. In addition to representatives of the media, the press conference was attended by 11 foreign ambassadors.
Petras Gražulis, homophobic Member of Parliament, vehement fighter against LGBT rights in Lithuania and famous for his aggressive attack on the Pride March in 2010, turned up to spout disruptive homophobic comments. During Pavilionienė’s opening speech he started to shout statements like “How are homosexuals better than necrophiliacs or paedophiles?” and “All nations and empires fell because of this moral rottenness, Sodom and Gomorrah”. He suggested chasing all gays and ambassadors out of Lithuania to stop their bad influence on the country and complained about the “rotten West” and the European Union which propagates this “Sodom and Gomorrah” to Lithuania. Gražulis was unable to present arguments in a democratic way, and ignored Pavilionienė’s request to stop the disturbance or to leave the press conference. Eventually, as Pavilionienė called for security guards, Gražulis left. Most of the camera teams followed, giving him media attention. It later became evident that the TV channel LNK had arranged the appearance of Gražulis in the press conference room to get good controversial material.
On Friday May 18th LGL organized the public action “We Are for All Colors of Life” to raise the visibility of LGBT issues. Participants rode through Vilnius on an open-top bus, stopping to unfold a 30-meter rainbow flag in front of Seimas and the municipality building. Petras Gražulis again showed up to disrupt the event at the planned stop at the municipality building. However, organizers of the public action managed to change the route of the bus and schedule of stops, avoiding Gražulis and ensuring a successful event.
