For the recognition of family diversities – fines for thousands

The Parliament Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities approves that it would be possible to punish for public defiance of family. Appointed as principal the abovementioned committee on 14th of January was considering the draft amendment to the Code of Administrative Violations, proposed by MP Petras Gražulis. In the revised amendment it is suggested

UN human rights chief denounces new anti-homosexuality law in Nigeria

GENEVA (14 January 2014) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday expressed her alarm at a “draconian” new law in Nigeria that criminalizes same-sex unions, saying it violates a wide range of human rights The Senate approved a revised version of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill in December, and

ILGA-Europe launches its 2014 election campaign

ILGA-Europe launches its 2014 election campaign “Come out for LGBTI equality, for human rights, for Europe, to vote”. On 14th of January at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, ILGA-Europe launched its campaign on the European elections which are taking place on 22-25 May 2014. The campaign will be launched by Euro parliamentarians and candidates for

Vallianatos and Others v. Greece: What is in there for Lithuania?

Is it possible that having a discriminatory law allowing civil partnerships only for different-sex couples is better than having no law at all? After the Grand Chamber released its judgment inVallianatos and Others v. Greece case, Lithuanian human rights advocates have realized that indeed it is. Contrary to a popular view that the judgment could

Gay ‘prisoner of conscience’ dies in Cameroon

A Cameroonian man who was jailed for sending a text message to another man saying ‘I’m very much in love with you’ and labeled a ‘curse’ by his family has died. Roger Jean-Claude Mbédé, 34, died on Friday (10 January) in Cameroon after his family removed him from hospital where he was seeking treatment for

Join the upcoming training on 25-26 January

On January 25th and 26th in 2014, the LGL association arranges a volunteer training weekend. Activists and volunteers who wish to become a part of the goals and activities of the organization are kindly invited to join. The participants form is available HERE. As we will pay for your travel expenses, your accomodation and food,

Footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger comes out as gay

Former Premier League footballer and German international made the announcement in Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper on Wednesday to Raphael Honigstein about how he wanted to tell the world he was gay while he was still playing in Germany for Wolfsburg, but was advised agaad moreinst it. He said: “I’m coming out about my homosexuality because I want to move the

Al-Qaida kills another Yemeni man suspected of being gay

25-year-old Waleed Saleh Awedan is at least the 35th person murdered by Al-Qaida linked militants on suspicion they are homosexual in Yemen in the last two years. A motorcycle riding gunman has shot dead a 25-year-old Yemeni man on Monday over suspicions he was a homosexual. Waleed Saleh Awedan was shot near his home in

Putin confirms that limited protest zones will be set up at Sochi

Russian authorities have confirmed that special protest zones will be set up at the Sochi Winter Olympics. In the face of heavy criticism of Russia’s anti-gay law, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach sought to diffuse the situation with an announcement in December. This followed a decree, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in August,

Court terminated case of MP Petras Gražulis

Vilnius district Court has terminated the case of member of the Lithuanian Parliament Petras Gražulis who was charged a fine of 200 litas (~ 58 EUR) for attempting to disrupt the Baltic Pride March for Equality in July, 2013. MP Gražulis was arrested on 27 July during the Baltic Pride 2013 march when he tried

New Year’s Eve arson attack on Seattle gay bar Neighbours

Seattle Police are investigating after someone doused a stairwell with gasoline and ignited it in one of the city’s most popular gay nightclubs just after midnight on New Year’s Eve, forcing patrons to evacuate the building. Seattle Police are hunting a suspected arsonist after a fire was lit in one of the city’s most popular

Lithuanian society is still reluctant to accept same-sex marriage

According to the recent survey, Lithuanians still oppose same-sex marriages. As the survey carried out by the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries shows that the possibility to register same-sex partnerships was appreciated only by 7 percent of the respondents, satisfactory – by 4 percent. Even 79 percent of the respondents expressed negative opinion, 10 percent did