National LGBT rights organization LGL in partnership with ACCEPT (Romania), Mladejka  LGBT organizatsiya deystvie (Bulgaria), Hatter Tarsasag (Hungary) and International LGBTI Associaction ILGA Europe starts a new project JUST EU: equality and justice for LGBTI citizens though strategic litigation. The goal of the project is to identify and prioritize the legal obstacles faced by LGBTI citizens

On December 10th, 2019, Eglė Kuktoraitė, Communications Manager at the National LGBT rights organization LGL, participated in a meeting on monitoring hate speech comments on social media in Paris (France), attended by the representatives of the European Commission, social networks and European NGOs. During the meeting, representatives from several European non-governmental organizations currently monitoring hate

On Friday 13th of December 2019 the international conference “Combating homophobic, biphobic and transphobic stereotypes and prejudice by and through mainstream media” took place in the conference room of the Jurnalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers – ESIEA (Athens, Greece). The conference was organized by Colour Youth – Athens LGBTQ Youth Community, in co-operation with ΚΜΟP

The situation of LGBT+ people in Estonia: a Warning Sign to Lithuania

LGBT persons and events in neighbouring countries of Lithuania, including Estonia, are under attack by the ruling parties. Representatives of the LGBT Association in Estonia say the community is intimidated, and Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of the National LGBT rights organization LGL, warns that what is happening in Estonia is a serious signal to us

Gabriella Calleja, head of the SOGIGESC unit of the Human Rights and Integration Directorate in the Maltese Ministry for European Affairs and Equality, who took part at the National Forum on Human Rights on December 10 at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, is certain that enforcing equality in the country positively affects all

“LGBTI-free zones” and hate speech against LGBTI people debated at the EP

On Tuesday 26 November, Members of the European Parliament debated on Public discrimination and hate speech against LGBTI people, including LGBTI free zones. This debate was requested upon initiative of the LGBTI Intergroup. Since the beginning of 2019, 87 localities (regions, counties and municipalities) have passed bills or have declared themselves “LGBTI-free” or “free of LGBT

In November 1989, Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of the National LGBT rights organization LGL, visited East Berlin for the third time at the invitation of his friends. On November 9, 1989, he accidentally became a witness of the fall of the Berlin Wall and visited West Berlin for the first time. As the thirtieth anniversary

Introduction:  This Call for Abstracts is part of the project safe.to.be by Speak Out, an initiative by partner organizations from nine different European countries, led by Belgium’s çavaria. All organizations are connected to the LGBTI communities in their respective countries, and have experience on the topic of hate crime and hate speech. ‘Safe.to.be – Speak

Lithuania must issue a residence permit to a foreigner, who entered into the same-sex marriage with a citizen of Lithuania in another state, in this way partially recognizing marriages concluded by homosexual individuals abroad. This judgement was pronounced by the Constitutional Court of the Lithuanian Republic (Constitutional Court) on the January  11, 2019 Nevertheless, what

Active Citizens Fund has been launched in Lithuania

On 23 October 2019, the Active Citizens Fund (ACF) in Lithuania financed by the EEA Grants was launched. In 2019-2024 the ACF will allocate EUR 9 million to the strengthening of civil society and empowering vulnerable groups. Lithuanian non-governmental organisations will have an opportunity to submit applications and receive funding for their activities in order

No Challenge in UN Third Committee on the Renewal of Independent Expert on SOGI

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution presenting the Annual Report of the Human Rights Council today without challenge to the extension of the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (IE SOGI). In 2016 when the mandate

Apparently opinions were bound to polarize after LRT, the national broadcaster of Lithuania, published a social documentary portraying a parenthood journey of a married gay men couple from United Kingdom at its internet portal lrt.lt Although plenty of people praised such a rare instance of the diversity representation, several, likely right-wing affiliated activists appealed to