Special U.S. Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons Randy Berry told the Washington Blade last week that anti-transgender violence remains a “grave” problem around the world. “A year ago I appreciated it more as an academic or intellectual reality,” he said during an interview at the State Department on April 20. “But over
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A pastor and a bishop in North Carolina have married a gay couple in an act of “civil disobedience”. The wedding was kept secret to stop “people having time to organise a protest”, and even had to hire security to keep demonstrators out. John Romano and Jim Wilborne, both 52, were married in Charlotte North Carolina
The Baltic Pride 2016 crowdfunding campaign, launched on March 8th, 2016, will end in just 3 days! In order to support our fundraising efforts further, we would like to kindly ask you to contribute to Baltic Pride 2016 crowdfunding campaign. Make the Baltic Pride 2016 happen – support our crowdfunding campaign! We organize the crowd
On Thursday, 21th April, our LGBT* community centre held the dancing workshop called Shake it out! with the undertitle Show us how you dance! There was enough space for everyone, even for those who didn`t feel like dancing. But later some of them joined, too. Apparently, because we have had so amazing teachers! A bunch
In the last of its annual progress reports on accession countries, the European Parliament evaluated the situation in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, including the situation of LGBTI people. Earlier this year, the Parliament already evaluated progress in Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and FYR Macedonia. In its report on Turkey, parliament highlights its concerns with
Eurovision stars Dana International (Israel) and Donny Montell (Lithuania) will perform at the Baltic Pride 2016 festival in Vilnius on June 18th, 2016. The artists will unite in sending a powerful message of tolerance, respect and support for the local LGBT* community. Israeli singer Dana International is best known as the winner of the Eurovision
Though a Chinese court rejected a same-sex marriage lawsuit, many believe the case affirmed a growing acceptance of LGBT rights in China. This article examines the implications of the decision for country’s gay rights movement. On Wednesday morning, Sun Wenlin and his male partner Hu Mingliang entered a court in the central Chinese province Hunan,
On March 15th, 2016 Rokas Žilinskas, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament and one of the proposers of the draft Law on the Strengthening of Family, reacted to a “Facebook” post by the National LGBT* rights organization LGL on the project proposal: “Lithuanian Gay League once again failed with its public relations in their own
On March 20th, 2016 a meeting to consider the Constitutional amendment, which seeks to define “family life” as emanating exclusively from a marriage between a man and a woman, has been scheduled at the Legal Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament. However, the Committee failed to meet the quorum and the consideration of the draft
In March, 2016 the National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL, in cooperation with international human rights organizations „ILGA-Europe“ and „Sexual Rights Initiative“, made a joint Universal Periodic Review submission to the UN Human Rights Council on the LGBT* human rights situation in the country. The shadow report, submitted by LGL and its international partners, highlights the
In a report adopted last week on the EU’s relationship with Central Asia, the European Parliament has made a strong call to respect democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of LGBTI people, in the region. The report highlights the parliament’s concern over freedom of the media, freedom of expression, and
Non-discrimination of minorities is one of the weakest points in Lithuania’s human rights record, according to a report on human rights practices in Lithuania for 2015 by the United States Department of State. The United States Department of State reports that the most serious human rights problems are related to aspects of the justice system,