Projects

Over the years, the National LGBT* rights organization LGL has carried out various projects with different aims and focus areas with both national and international partners. Here is a list of ongoing projects and projects that have been implemented in recent years.

Promotion of democracy – independent information dissemination from the Human Rights perspective

Period: 2018 (8 months)

This joint project between NGOs and journalist organizations from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine aims to counteract increasingly aggressive anti- human rights messaging by protecting journalistic integrity and equipping those interacting with vulnerable groups with the tools to disseminate independent information. Expert workshops in the partner countries seek to analyze traditional value discourse as well as strengthen democracy and civil society through counter narratives from a human rights perspective.

Funder: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Embassy of Finland

Baltic Pride 2019: Promoting LGBT* Human Rights through Nordic-Baltic Cooperation

Period: 2018-2019 (12 months)

The project “Baltic Pride 2019: Promoting LGBT* Human Rights through Nordic-Baltic Cooperation” aims to consolidate the partnership between Nordic and Baltic NGOs in order to establish sustainable cooperation with regards to LGBT* issues on the national and regional level. The project envisions the joint organization of Baltic Pride 2019 as a point of contact to facilitate transfer of knowledge and skills, assessment of the current LGBT* situation in the Baltic States and development of shared long-term strategies and goals.

Funder: NORDEN (Nordic Council of Ministers)

UNI-FORM: Bringing Together NGOs and Security Forces to Tackle Hate Crimes and On-Line Hate Speech against LGBT Persons

Period: 2015-2017 (24 months)

UNI-FORM is a European project, financed by the European Commission, and being implemented until November 2017 in ten (10) European Union countries. After collecting relevant information from interviews with key stakeholders (security forces, justice professionals, victim support services and victims), this project will develop an online reporting form and a mobile app. Both the website and app will be directly linked to the national LGBT partner organisations and may or may not also be linked to the relevant national security force.

Funder: European Commission

#LGBTs_Matter: Raising Awareness and Encouraging Reporting on Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity in Lithuania

Period: 2016-2017 (17 months)

The project is implemented by the National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL and the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in Lithuania. The synergy of the partnership between the core civil society organization working exclusively in the field of LGBT* human rights and the equality body in charge of implementing the national policies on equal opportunities seeks to contribute to the effective implementation of human rights standards for LGBT* people in the country.

Funder: German foundation “Erinnerung. Verantwortung and Zukunft” (EVZ)

Come Forward: Empowering and Supporting Victims of Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes

Period: 2016-2018 (24 months)

The project “Come Forward: Empowering and Supporting Victims of Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes”, in line with the Directive 2012/29/EU, aims at addressing a common need within the European Union to increase reporting of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes through building capacity of civil society and official partners and empowering victim communities.

Funder: European Commission

Rainbow Rights – Promoting LGBTI Equality in Europe

Period: 2017-2018

The project “Rainbow Rights – Promoting LGBTI Equality in Europe” develops LGBTI -equality policy measures in four Member States: Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The main objective of the project is to advance LGBTI equality.

Funder: European Commission

Sharing Expertise and Fostering LGBT Human Rights in Belarus

Period: 2017 (12 months)

The project “Sharing Expertise and Fostering LGBT Human Rights in Belarus” involves civil society stakeholders from three countries: Belarus, Norway and Lithuania. The entire project will be coordinated by the National LGBT* rights organization LGL as the lead partner in partnership with Belarussian LGBT organizations, Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Lithuanian Human Rights Center.

Funder: Norden (Nordic Council of Ministers)

We Are People, Not Propaganda: Consolidating the Status of National LGBT* Rights Organization

Period: 2016-2018 (24 months)

The main goal of the project “We Are People, Not Propaganda: Consolidating the Status of National LGBT* Rights Organization” is to consolidate the status of the association LGL as the National LGBT* Rights Organization in the country through strategically tailored awareness raising, advocacy and community building activities with the view of tackling discrimination and social exclusion of the local LGBT* community in the country.

Funder: FOSI

Developing research capacity in Eastern Europe

Period: 2017-2019 (24 months)

The project „Developing research capacity in Eastern Europe“ aims to increase the capacity of NGOs working on LGBT youth and education issues in Eastern Europe to work on LGBT issues in education.

Funder: GLSEN

Health4LGBTI: Reducing health inequalities experienced by LGBTI people

Period: 2016-2018 (24 months)

This pilot project will increase our understanding of how best to reduce specific health inequalities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex (LGBTI) people, focussing in particular on overlapping inequalities stemming from discrimination and unfair treatment on other grounds (e.g. older, younger, refugee, immigrant, disability, rural, poverty).

Funder: ILGA-Europe

Disappearing Borders: Empowering LGBT Community and Allies in Lithuania

Period: 2017-2019 (19 months)

Throughout the years of working with the local volunteers and experience implementing EVS projects LGL observed that volunteers working in the field of human rights are not only empowering local LGBT* youth and community to live more openly and be much more active when it comes to standing up for their rights. With the help from LGL these activists gain knowledge, skills and experience needed for their further work in the area of human rights.

Funder: EVS programme

Democracy and art intertwined: working towards empowered and active LGBT community and allies in Lithuania

Period: 2016-2018 (19 months)

Taking part in this EVS experience, volunteers not only will have the chance to learn more about human rights in general and LGBT* rights in particular, but they will be also involved in the local democratic processes and advocacy action. They will start developing a non –formal time-machine (a tool to step out of the box), to attempt and systematize non – formal education experience and artistic activism methods in the field of human rights.

Funder: EVS programme

Heading towards Visibility and Equality

Period: 2015-2017 (21 month)

An overall objective of this European voluntary service (EVS) project is to combine our knowledge and experience with the fresh ideas of volunteers and to create initiatives in order to develop new tools for encouraging young people to be active and informed citizens of the EU. This project foresees to have two EVS volunteers who, in addition to regular office activities would be responsible for specific tasks. One volunteer in addition to regular office activities would be responsible for the community mobilizing (developing LGBT center activities) and assisting on the communication work of the LGL staff. Second volunteer would be working on LGBT visibility in Lithuania through art. He/she would be responsible for creating various LGBT related artistic material, having art related activities in LGBT center for community, designing merchandise and campaigns style for the organization, creating publications for printings, books, reports, posters and panels.

Funder: EVS programme

Volunteering for Visibility and Inclusion

Period: 2015-2016 (14 months)

The main goal of this European Voluntary Service (EVS) project is to join the long-standing experience of LGL with the ideas of the volunteers in working towards developing the ways and means for increasing the active participation of the LGBT community. This is planned to achieve by increasing their visibility and active participation in democratic decision making processes with a particular focus on youth.

Funder: EVS programme

Promoting Human Rights Activism in Lithuania

Period: 2015 (9 months)

An overall objective of this project is to combine our knowledge and experience with the fresh ideas of volunteers and to create initiatives in order to develop new tools for encouraging young people to be active and informed citizens of the EU. This project foresees to have two EVS volunteers who, in addition to regular office activities  would be responsible for the community building and assisting on the advocacy work of the LGL staff.

Funder: EVS programme

Growing Sustainability of LGL as a National LGBT* Organization

Period: 2014-2016 (24 months)

The projects seeks to ensure the sustainability of the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) as a national LGBT* rights organization in tackling discrimination and social exclusion of the local LGBT* community in Lithuania. The project activities are divided into four pillars, namely awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic litigation and community work.

Funder: ILGA-Europe

Strengthening cooperation and dissemination of good practice between LGL and Icelandic human rights activists during the “Baltic Pride” 2016 human rights program

Period: 2016 (5 months)

The main purpose of the initiative is to increase the cooperation between LGL and Icelandic human rights activists in the field of advocating for human rights. The goals of the proposed initiative are as follows: (a) the dissemination of good practice between LGL and Icelandic human rights activists; (b) promotion of bilateral relations between Lithuania and donor country; (c) sharing and spreading the information about partners and their activities in the respective countries.

Funder: NGO Programme Lithuania funded by EEA Grants

Forging Forward Toward Recognition: Documenting Experiences of TRANS* Individuals in the Sphere of Employment

Period: 2015-2016 (14 months)

The project “Forging Forward toward Recognition: Documenting Experiences of TRANS* Individuals in the Sphere of Employment” is aiming at collecting data on discrimination faced by the transgender community of Lithuania within the sphere of employment, the first such national assessment of its kind. The collected data will in turn be utilized to develop evidence-based advocacy tools in order to demonstrate the importance of amending the Labor Code to include gender identity as a ground of discrimination to policy and decision makers. The collected data will be also used in sensitizing private and public employers about the challenges faced by trans* individuals in applying for employment and during their actual period of employment. The project is funded by the international organization ILGA-Europe (Ref. No. C-XIV-05).

Funder: ILGA-Europe

Catalyzer of Cooperation between Baltic and Nordic Countries in Promoting LGBT* Rights

Period: 2015-2016 (12 months)

The project seeks to increase the coherence among the three major LGBT* organizations in the Baltic States, namely LGL (Lithuania), Mozaika (Latvia) and the Estonian LGBT Association (Estonia), in organizing large-scale Baltic Pride events. After establishing a successful framework of cooperation in 2009, the partnership among the implementing organizations needs further impetus with the view of comprehensively responding to vividly changing social realities both on national and regional levels. This objective will be implemented through assessing current cooperation modalities, transferring skills and knowledge from the partner organization in the Nordic country, defining future goals, brainstorming future strategies and presenting project outcomes in the course of a final conference at the end of the project.

Funder: Nordic Council of Ministers’ Grant Programme for Nordic-Baltic NonGovernmental Organisations’ (NGO) Cooperation

Developing Effective Response to LGBT* Hate Crimes

Period: 2015-2016 (18 months)

Thanks to this project the direct beneficiaries: law-enforcement officials and victim support services received tools and competences applicable in their everyday work and necessary to accommodate the needs and hate crime victims and better investigate the crimes. The project also ensured the protection of rights of the ultimate beneficiaries which are HC victims and thus they will be more likely to report crimes without fear of disrespect or victimization which will positively affect law enforcement and improve safety and living conditions of EU citizens.

Funder: U.S. State Department

Accomodating the needs of the victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes – raising the competences of law-enforcement institutions

Period: 2015-2017 (24 months)

The project is aimed at diagnosing specific needs of the aferemetnioned victims in the light of specific provisions of the Victims Rights Directive and ensuring their proper and respectful treatment by law-enforcement officials. This will be done through a detailed research of existing legal framework, policies and the experiences and needs that victims have while in contact with the police officers, prosecutors, judges, legal practitioners and victim support centers.The project will be conducted in 5 countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Hungary but its outcomes: benchmarking tools, research methodology, training agendas and toolkits for the law-enforcement officials will be easily transferrable to all other EU countries.

Funder: European Commission

Consolidating Sustainable Development of National Equality and Diversity Forum (NEDF)

Period: 2014-2015 (12 months)

Strengthening the performance of an already functioning National Equality and Diversity Forum (NDEF), i.e. NGO coalition LGL takes part in, requires for additional measures in order to ensure Forum‘s sustainable development and closer cooperation among participating organizations with the purpose of promoting human rights and equal opportunities in the Lithuanian society.
Funder: EEA Grants and Norway Grants

National Equality and Diversity Forum (NEDF) cooperation project of effectiveness development

Period: 2014-2015 (6 months)

This project is intended to enlarge NEDF, which includes LGL association, operational efficiency and strengthen the capacity while preparing NEDF’s 2015 – 2016 m. strategy and action plan, which will include such objectives and activities as: actively expressing the needs of discriminated groups and representing them; assisting for discrimination victims while seeking for justice; spreading the ideas of equality and diversity in the society and including it in a political agenda; pursuing to consolidate the standards of non-discriminated behavior, based on equality in politics, other areas of public life and society; government institutions, prompting private companies and calling to take action against discrimination; observing the cases of discrimination, documentation and publicizing. The trainings, organized throughout the project will also improve NGOs’, taking part in NEDF activity, abilities and cooperation skills as well as experience, publicizing activity will be aimed to inform about NEDF’s activities to policy makers, other target groups and the general public.

Funder: Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania

Bleeding Love: Raising Awareness on Domestic and Dating Violence Against Lesbians and Transwomen in the European Union

Period: 2015-2016 (12 months)

The project aims at contributing to the prevention of domestic and dating violence against lesbians and transwomen in selected countries in the EU. In achieving its goal, the present project will develop several awareness raising activities aiming at broaden mutual understanding of domestic and dating violence against lesbians and transwomen in selected jurisdictions in the EU.

Funder: European Commission

Changing Attitudes: Increasing Police Participation in Tackling Homophobic and Transphobic Crimes

Period: 2014-2015 (5 months)

The main aim of the project is to start a dialogue with police authorities for cooperation in tackling homophobic and transphobic crimes. While governmental authorities may agree there is a problem, the actual practitioners of law enforcement, i.e. police authorities and police forces that are subordinate to police authorities have shown very little if any interest and recognition of the issue at all. Therefore this project will be the first step taken towards cooperating with police forces and working together with the law academics and other community-based NGOs will serve as a good and effective starting point for such cooperation.

Funding: ILGA-Europe

Empowering Youth towards an Inclusive Europe

Period: 2014-2015 (10 months)

An overall objective of the project  Empowering Youth towards an Inclusive Europe  is to combine our knowledge and experience with the volunteers’ fresh ideas and creative initiatives in order to develop new tools for overcoming homophobia and social exclusion both in Lithuania and Europe. Project aims at encouraging active participation of LGBT youth in the European Parliament election, 2014, promoting critical thinking and civic awareness.

Funder: EVS programme

CODE: Coming out for Diversity and Equality

Period: 2014-2015 (12 months)

The project is implemented by the partnership of the Lithuanian Equality Body – the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman (OEOO) – and two non-governmental organisations the association “Lithuanian National Forum of the Disabled” (LNF) and the Association “Lithuanian Gay League” (LGL). The project is developed in accordance with the priorities of the call and with the national strategic document for 2013-2014. To strengthen and disseminate good practice results of the PROGRESS programme implementation in Lithuania, project partners will implement the project in cooperation with the National Equality and Diversity Forum (NEDF), members of which are non-governmental organisations representing vulnerable groups of residents that experience discrimination. NEDF was established in 2010 under the PROGRESS programme and plays an important role in shaping the equal opportunities policy on the national scale.

Funder: Progress Programme

Ensuring Sustainability of LGL as a National LGBT* Organization

Period: 2013-2014 (12 months)

The main goal of the project is to ensure the sustainability of the LGL as a national LGBT* organization and its on-going awareness raising, advocacy, strategic litigation and community building efforts in tackling discrimination and social exclusion of the local LGBT* community in Lithuania.

Funder: FOSI

Towards Practical Implementation of LGBT* Rights in Lithuania

Period: 2014-2015

The main purpose of the proposed project is to mainstream the LGBT* equality into the Lithuanian politics through addressing the practical challenges, faced by the local LGBT* community on a daily basis. The objective of the proposed project is to achieve more comprehensive social integration of the local LGBT* community by taking into account its specific needs.

Funder: EEA Grants and Norway Grants

Crossing Borders for Diversity
Period: 2013-2014 (10 months)

This project is promoted by Youth in Action for European Voluntary Service, an international programme that help young volunteers to prove themselves and their skills in a foreign country. This year LGL took two volunteers, one from Finland and one from Italy, that help all the staff and the board members in the main LGL objectives, first of all Baltic Pride 2013. Our volunteers are managing websites, blog, workshop, international communication and helping with many other LGL’s needs.

Funder: Youth in Action Programme

Building LGL’s Capacity in Assisting Victims of Hate Crimes and Hate Motivate Incidents
Period: 2013 (8 months)

Funder: ILGA Europe and US State Department

Diversity LT
Period: 2013-2014 (12 months)

Funder: European Commission

Ensuring the Effective Exercise of the RIght to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly for LGBT Community Trough Strategic Ligitation and Advocacy
Period: 2013 (5 months)

Funder: ILGA Europe

Documentation of Homophobic and Transphobic Violence in Lithuania
Period: 2013 (12 months)

Funder: ILGA Europe and Freedom House

Advocacy for LGBT Rights – From UN to National Level
Period: 2012-2013 (13 months)

Funder: ILGA Europe and Advocacy Fund

Taking Initiative for an Inclusive Society
Period: 2012-2013 (10 months)

Funder: Youth in Action Programme

Monitoring Implementation of the Committee of Ministers’ Reccomendation
Period: 2011-2013 (6 months)

Funder: ILGA Europe

Promoting Acceptance and Non-Discrimination of LGBT in Lithuania
Period: 2011-2013 (24 months)

Funder: FOSI

Beyond Borders – sharing knowledge and strategies on improoving support and social inclusion for the culturally diverse LGBT people living in Europe.

Period: 2011-2013 (13 months)

Funder: Grundtvig-Lifelong Learning Programme

Partnership for Equal Rights
Period: 2009-2010 (12 months)

The overall aim of the project was to promote human rights, equal opportunities, social inclusion and health among the LGBT community in Lithuania. The more specific aim was to strengthen the capacity of LGL through sharing of best practices, training by and cooperation with RFSL in Sweden.

Yogyakarta Principles – a new tool for human rights
Period: 2009-2010 (12 months)

The specific objective of this project was to empower and build the capacity of LGL as well as other national human rights NGOs to advocate for the improvement of the legal and social position of LGBT people by introducing the Yogyakarta Principles as a new tool for change.

Baltic Pride 2010 Vilnius
Period: 2010 (5 months)

The Baltic Pride event was an unique opportunity for human rights defenders across Europe to get together and discuss common problems and challenges, share experiences and best practices on tackling discrimination and advancing equality and human rights for LGBT people, as well as celebrating achievements.

Baltic pride 2010 in Vilnius, Lithuania which took place on 5th – 9th May 2010 brought together LGBT community and members of other groups of society from the whole Europe, participants from different NGO’s and political and legacy institutions as well. It encouraged intercultural debate among participants, promoted a European discourse of tolerance based on the generation of coexistence and respect arguments, recognition of the difference and preventing European citizenship from any kind of discrimination attitudes, discourses and stereotypes.

Throughout the week 5th – 9th of May numerous events took place. Main focus was held on the awareness raising regarding discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, the causes and consequences of homophobia.

  • Film Festival Baltic Pride 2010 Vilnius was held on 5th – 9th May in cinema centre “Skalvija”, Vilnius.
  • Photo exhibition “27 picture of Pride” was on exposition from 6th to 9th May.
  • During 7th and 8th of May active political discussions, cultural events, a social program and march for equality gathered hundreds of people from Lithuania and abroad. The international human rights conference took place on Friday, 7th May at the Vilnius Conti hotel. Around 200 participants from all Europe participated. The topic of the discussion was „Human Rights Combating Fear and Prejudice“.
  • The march for equality in central Vilnius took place on Saturday, 8th of May. Around 500 participants attended the event.

EQUAL JUS – European network for the legal support of LGBT rights
Period: 2010-2011 (18 months)

The project EQUAL JUS – European network for the legal support of LGBT rights, partly financed by the EU Commission under the Programme “Fundamental Rights and Citizenship 2007-2013″ seeks to combat homophobia and transphobia by moving from a general analysis of the fundamental rights as recognized by and within the EU and aims at reaching an increasing awareness among people that European citizenship includes a new dimension for protection of fundamental rights and a push for social inclusion of all individuals. Project aims at promoting, guaranteeing and sustaining LGBT rights, through the elaboration of legal tools, vocational training and communication.

The partners of the Equal Jus Project are the University of Udine – Department of Legal Sciences (Italy) to-gether with Avvocatura per i diritti LGBT (Italy, leading partner), IMED Istituto per il Mediterraneo (Italy), KPH Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Poland), Réseau d’aide aux victimes d’agression et de discrimination (RAVAD) (France), Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) (Lithuania), SOS – Homophobie (France), Haute Autorité de Lutte contre les Discriminations et pour l‟Égalité (HALDE) (France, Associate partner).

http://equal-jus.eu/

Promoting Legal Support for LGBT Rights in Lithuania
Period: 2009-2011 (24 months)

The overall aim of the two year project is to ensure democracy and rule of law, promote human rights, acceptance and non-discrimination among LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community in Lithuania. The more specific aim is to create a national network for the legal support of LGBT rights and boost its advocacy efforts.

Project activities and outcomes will be based on three main pillars:

  1. Advocacy and case-promoting: legal advice to LGBT community members, anonymous online and interactive consultation to members of LGBT community on concrete discrimination cases on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity (including multiple discrimination cases if applicable), followed (if needed) by case-bringing legal support to LGBT community members, etc.
  2. Awareness raising (improving level of legal competence among stakeholders and members of LGBT community): production of legal manual for practitioners, 3 legal trainings, etc.
  3. Monitoring, reporting and documentation: developed legal database, collection of legislation and case-law from Lithuania on LGBT issues and subsequent translation to English; acquisitions of legal publications on LGBT issues and creation of a freely accessible library/archive covering legislation, case law and scholarly literature as well as establishment of a library of hard copy items, etc.

Empowering Women: education and advocacy for the rights of lesbian and bisexual women

Period: 2010 – 2012 (12 months)

The overall aim of this project is to raise public awareness on lesbians and bisexual women’s rights and needs and to reduce social exclusion of lesbian and bisexual women in the society in Lithuania.

The project is designed to operate on two levels simultaneously. On one hand, we hope to increase visibility of the needs of the lesbian and bisexual community; on the other hand, we want to provide the education for this community and fellow human rights activists, on how to advocate for the rights of lesbian and bisexual women.

This project focuses on advocacy for lesbian and bisexual women’s rights, improvement of mental, sexual, and reproductive health care for lesbian and bisexual women.

You can read about these and many other projects by choosing from one of the sections above.