Women exercising together with the Lithuanian transgender entertainer Agness Landau in a Vilnius gym did not wish to change their clothes in the same locker room. The gym, which has locker rooms for both women and men, refused to comment upon the situation to Lithuanian TV journalists. However, the spokesperson of a gym claimed that “there are no plans to set up a gender neutral locker room”.

Meanwhile the representatives of the national LGBT* rights organization LGL urge Lithuanians to be more tolerant. Gender neutral rooms should be installed not only in sports clubs, but also in supermarkets, banks and other public institutions.

Resistance not only in gyms

Ms. Landau says that she does not understand why several women drove her out of the locker room in the gym that is situated in Vilnius. According to the transgender entertainer, who undergone a transition quite recently, she visits various gyms and the reaction of women is very similar in every sports facility.

Ms. Landau claims that she has never experienced a negative reaction from men. However she stressed several times that she has no intention to change in the locker rooms for men. “Change clothes in the locker room for men? Never. Actually I was very uncomfortable to hear transphobic remarks from other women” – explained Ms. Landau.

The transgender entertainer who has no intention to limit her freedom of expression disclosed to the journalists that she has experienced insulting comments in cafes and restaurants as well.

The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania: “We have not received any complaints”

The representatives of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania claim that the Office did not receive any complaints reporting about this kind of behaviour. Therefore, the Office refused to make a statement about the regulations on gender neutral locker rooms in Lithuania and on whether the companies that do not arrange a gender neutral room are violating any laws and regulations.

The Executive Director of LGL Vladimir Simonko claims that the lack of gender neutral policy in Lithuania is an important problem. There is no accurate statistics, yet it is believed that there are about 3000 transgender individuals in Lithuania who have undergone a transition or are in the process of doing so. However, the level of tolerance towards transgender persons in Lithuania is still extremely low.