On the 25th of August, 2015 the national LGBT* rights organization LGL applied to the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language with a request to clarify the meaning of a term “pederast”, commonly used to insult the members of the LGBT* community, and present an Lithuanian equivalent to an English term queer. The consultants of

LGL Appeals before the Strasbourg Human Rights Court

On August 13th, 2015 the National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL applied before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) under violations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) regarding limitations of access to available effective remedies against homophobic hate speech in Lithuania. An official complaint states that the Lithuanian authorities have violated the Convention

European Parliament: Neighbourhood Policy to address LGBTI rights

On the 9th of July the European Parliament voted to put human rights, including of LGBTI people, at the heart of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Parliament emphasises  the “need to focus on strengthening and consolidating … respect for diversity and the rights of minorities, including … the rights of LGBTI persons.” (see par. 22)

On the 17th of June, 2015 the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania Juozas Olekas argued that homosexual conscripts are not deprived of the right to serve in the Lithuanian army. Mr. Olekas has been forced to reassure that the country’s military does not discriminate against homosexual conscripts after an army psychiatrist

Homosexual conscripts – not welcome in the Lithuanian military?

For which purpose a future soldier is asked questions such as: do you like picking flowers and/or would you like to be a florist? Perhaps in order to have Lithuanian conscripts in the army decoded as homosexual persons or have their sexual orientation revealed? The military acknowledges that homosexual conscripts are not welcome in the

On the 16th of May, 2015, the national LGBT* rights organization LGL received a notice from the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania stating that the company ‘Julturas’ violated Article 8, Part 1 of the Law on Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Lithuania by refusing to rent a bus to LGL

On the 29th of April, 2015 the EU Court of Justice (EUCJ) ruled that permanently banning men who have had sex with men (MSM) from blood donation, may be justified, depending on the situation in the country. The case got to the EU Court after Mr Léger, a French national, was refused blood donation on

3,000 Euro Fine Issued for a Hate-motivated Crime against an Openly Gay Man

The Lithuanian courts have issued a verdict on the criminal case of Laurynas Baltrūnas. Ruslanas Kirilkinas, an openly gay performer, pressed charges against Mr. Baltrūnas, who launched a homophobic attack against the singer, pelting him with eggs during a performance. Although Mr. Baltrūnas has successfully evaded imprisonment for his offenses, the courts are requiring him

A Director of Pilaitė high school in Vilnius Zotikas Popovas was “horrified” to receive a publication about homophobic bullying in Lithuanian schools, sent as a gift to schools and educational institutions throughout the country by the national LGBT* rights organization LGL on the 3rd of April, 2015. The publication “Homophobic Bullying in Lithuanian Schools: Survey

In April 2015 with the initiative from the national LGBT* rights organization LGL an Action Plan for 2015-2020 on Non-Discrimination of LGBT* People has been released. The primary aims of this publication are to call attention to the current situation of LGBT* people, and to provide recommendations to ensure against discrimination and social exclusion of