Today, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding recommendation for a future EU roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. The report adopted today “strongly condemns” homophobia and transphobia in the European Union. MEPs ask the European Commission, Member States and EU agencies to ”work jointly on a comprehensive multiannual policy to protect
Tag Archive: lgbt rights
On the 27th of January 2014, the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality Bill passed the Parliament of the northern part of Cyprus. The northern part of Cyprus was the last territory in Europe where homosexuality was still a crime. With the adoption of the bill, Articles 171 and 173 of the Criminal Code, foreseeing in five years’ imprisonment
The national LGBT rights organization (LGL) issued the new publication “United Nations Organization and situation of LGBT persons in Lithuania: opportunities provided by international human rights mechanisms”. The purpose of this publication is to introduce the mechanisms of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and of periodic reviews under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
On 27 November, the RMT (Britain’s Transport Union) LGBT Committee held a protest action in front of the Lithuanian Embassy in London, urging the Lithuanian Government and civil society to draw attention to constant LGBT rights violations in Lithuania. RMT Union activists were joined by members of the African LGBT Out and Proud Diamond Group,
At a crossroad between legal progress and increasing social hostility: European LGBTI movement gathers for its largest annual conference in Zagreb. On 24-26 October 2013, ILGA-Europe holds its 17th Annual Conference in Zagreb. Our Annual Conference is the largest event on LGBTI political agenda in Europe. 290 participants from 40 countries are attending the Conference. The
Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius on Friday welcomed participants of an international conference on LGBT rights and stressed the importance of a more equal society as well as patience. In his speech, the Minister said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the Friday conference to review the situation sexual minority rights. “We
A new ‘anti-propaganda’ law, similar to those recently enacted in Russia, was discussed and adopted away from public scrutiny and entered into force on 12 July. Politicians specifically sought to avoid debating the bill in public. Moldova’s Contravention Code now forbids the “distribution of public information […] aimed at the propagation of prostitution, paedophilia, pornography
Setting an important legal precedent, Istanbul’s Criminal Court on Monday issued a landmark ruling against a religious Turkish newspaper for its use of anti-gay language, saying it illegally offended LGBT people. The court also stated that such language is not within the scope of freedom expression or press. The court ruled that the newspaper be prosecuted
Lithuanian Parliamentary Speaker Vydas Gedvilas believes that the Seimas’ move to turn to the European Union (EU) institutions over pending bills that could restrict gay rights was too hasty. In comment made by a group of parliamentarians, Gedvilas, of the ruling Labour Party, said on Wednesday morning that the bills are in their initial phase.
Today the EU’s 27 foreign affairs ministers adopted a ground-breaking global policy. The LGBTI Guidelines instruct EU diplomats around the globe to defend the human rights of LGBTI people. The Guidelines will be binding. The EU’s diplomatic efforts will revolve around four priorities: Eliminate discriminatory laws and policies, including the death penalty Promote equality and non-discrimination at