On January 28, 2015 the District Court of Klaipėda City passed an order to dismiss a formal complaint about hateful online comments regarding a same-sex kiss picture by two students, filed by the national LGBT* rights organization LGL. As stated in the court order, a person who posts a same-sex kiss photo in a public
News
On the 27th of January, 2015, the Jewish Community of Lithuania in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute hosted a conference dedicated to the commemoration of the Holocaust victims. Professor Niccolò Scaffai from University of Lausanne, answered questions and read some excerpts from the work If this is a Man by Primo Levi, an Italian
In January 2015 the Ukrainian Parliament withdrew the draft of so-called “homosexuality anti-propaganda” law (8711/0945) from its agenda. According to information from Ukrainian partners, the law 8711/0945 was not included in the agenda of the Ukrainian Parliament for its current session. This means that Parliament will not get back to discussions about this legislative initiative.
Russian judge on Friday convicted the founder of a website for LGBT youth of violating the country’s law that bans the promotion of so-called gay propaganda to minors. Lyudmila Pedan, a judge in the city of Nizhny Tagil, found Yelena Klimova, founder of the Children 404 Project, of violating the controversial law that President Vladimir Putin signed
On January 27th, 1945, Auschwitz was liberated. In the decades since, groups of survivors have gathered to honor that day. On Tuesday 27th January 2015, holocaust survivors will return to Auschwitz for the 70th anniversary of liberation. In light of this important upcoming event, National LGBT* Rights Organization LGL takes the opportunity to commemorate the
The country’s highest court announced earlier this month that it would take up a same-sex marriage case that could bring equal marriage to all 50 states. Attorney General Eric Holder has already confirmed that his office will submit a brief urging the court to strike down bans on same-sex marriage. President Obama was asked about the case in an
A transgender man from Spain had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday. Hoy, a newspaper in the Extremadura region of Spain, reported that Diego Neria Lejárraga and his fiancée had a private audience with the pontiff that took place at his official residence. Neria told Francis in a letter that some of
On January 22nd, 2015, the National Equality and Diversity Forum (NEDF) visited the national LGBT* rights association LGL. The event, entitled “Identity: Gender,” was characterized by a fruitful exchange of experiences from those in attendance. Non-governmental organizations representing vulnerable groups visited LGL’s office so as to attain a better understanding of its specificities and work.
Three French Twitter users were fined this week for sending tweets that included homophobic hashtags. It’s the first time a French court has handed out convictions for homophobic abuse on Twitter. The convictions date back to offences committed in 2013 when several homophobic hashtags appeared on Twitter in France, including “Gays must die because…”, (#Lesgaysdoiventdisparaîtrecar).
Government pledges to enact legislation on adoption rights ahead of vote. The Government has pledged that legislation providing for adoption by gay couples will be enacted before the referendum on same-sex marriage in May. The pledge came in the wake of concern in both Coalition parties that the first television debate on the issue on Monday
Last Sunday, Member of the Lithuanian Parliament Algirdas Vaclovas Patackas warned that the head of the Lithuanian Gay League’s (LGL) engaged in “provocation” that might result in “dead bodies”, similar to recent attacks in Paris. The MP made the remarks after LGL’s head, Vladimir Simonko, suggested that the organisation should consider buying the now obsolete
A leading Russian gay activist has announced he will run against a prominent antigay politician for a seat in St. Petersburg’s legislative assembly. Nikolai Alekseyev said in an Instagram post on January 20 that he has decided to run for the seat currently held by Vitaly Milonov in the 2016 election. Milonov is one of