Through this project, LGL aims to take advantage of their strong research and awareness-raising background to engage in national and international advocacy efforts to make the Lithuanian Government aware of the direct negative impacts of the Lithuanian “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” on the LGBTI students in Lithuania. 

Active since 2009, this law has created a chilling effect when it comes to all efforts in LGBTI Inclusive Education. The most recent data of a survey conducted by the LGL indicates that the situation of LGBTI students in Lithuanian schools worsened since 2017. The existence of this law encourages the notion that discussing LGBTI issues at schools is a taboo. Therefore, there is no mandatory teacher training on LGBTI awareness, schools are not required to include LGBTI-specific information in their anti-bullying policies, and the national curriculum is not LGBTI-inclusive.

Yet, despite the criticism by human rights defenders and by International human rights bodies, the Law in question, and especially its article 4(2)(16), remains intact. This is why LGL believes that it is crucial to continue to build national and international pressure on the Lithuanian Government to remove the discriminatory clause of the so-called “anti-LGBTI propaganda Law”.

With the support of IGLYO, LGL will send letters to national and international institutions to make policy-makers aware of the negative effects of the article 4(2)(16). They will also build pressure by collecting petition signatures, as well as by organising a protest, an advocacy roundtable and a discussion involving policy-makers during an international conference in Vilnius.

With the support of: