STRASBOURG, 16 June 2010 — Today the European Parliament adopted a strong position in favour of safeguarding transgender people’s fundamental rights. The Parliament officially acknowledged discrimination on grounds of gender identity, calls for accessible gender reassignment procedures, and insists future EU gender equality initiatives should address issues linked to gender identity and gender reassignment. The

Monday, May 17 marks the International Day Against Homophobia. Europe has seen important progress in addressing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people — but there is more to be done. In March, the representatives of the 47 member countries of the oldest European organization  the Council of Europe, agreed that all

Baltic Pride march ban overturned

Raimondas Petrauskas, Lithuania’s Interim Attorney General and Stanislovas Buškevičius, member of the Kaunas City Council, on 3rd May have applied to the court to ban the Baltic Pride/March for Equality scheduled for 8th May, which was previously authorised by the Mayor of Vilnius. Their appeal was motivated by concerns over potential security risks. According to

Baltic Gay Pride re-instated by Lithuania’s top court

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled on Friday that Baltic Pride, a gay rights rally planned for Saturday in the capital, Vilnius, would be able to go ahead after all, overturning a ban by a lower court. The move comes after the European Commission made it known its concerns about the earlier

United Kingdom Passes New Equality Act

On 8 April 2010, the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament passed the Equality Act 2010. The Act harmonises existing equality law which previously had been spread across numerous separate pieces of legislation. The new Equality Act not only combines existing equality legislation into a single comprehensive Act but levels up protection for several grounds of discrimination

US Ambassador: Human Rights are the most important

Question. Some of our readers are upset about your decision to speak for gay and lesbian rights. Our people  are awaiting the “Baltic Pride” parade  with anxiety because to them it seems to be a challenge. The society is not used to such events and thus, reacts  very sensitively to any schooling from outside. Besides

Lithuania is on purpose portrayed as intolerant in the West. With this, attempts are made to block the West’s “appetite for the independence of the Baltic States”. Vilija Aleknaite-Abramikiene, member of Seimas, expressed such fears on Saturday, in Homeland Union- Lithuanian Christian Democrats’ (TS-LDK) conference. She said her wish was to express the professors worry,

MP L.Grauziniene believes that tolerance is different for different people

Tolerance is different for national minorities, for the disabled, and for those with a different sexual orientation. A lot depends on their own behavior. Jews, for example, are demanding for the return of the property, but they engage in constructive discussions. Representatives of Polish nation since they want to write their first and last names

A gay acquaintance is not scary even for Grazulis

“Lithuanians would like to not see gays in public, but a large majority of Lithuanians reacts calmly to a march with such slogans as  “Lithuania- for Lithuanians”. Westerners on the other hand are of an opposing opinion- gay parades are good, but the nationalist parade should elicit a serious response” – well known Lithuanian journalist

Birute Vesaite: who will invest into a homophobic country?

Lithuania is spending money for the formation of its image. However, questions are being raised if international companies will invest money into such a homophobic country, where nationalistic inclined youth shouts “Lithuania- for Lithuanians”; where parliamentarians and other politicians are protesting against a homosexual parade; and where people of a darker skin tone experience violence.

The May 8th parade has received a lot of attention from its proponents and its opponents. Both, are trying to portray the other side negatively. Members of Seimas are stressing that the parade is bad, that there should be no sexual minorities parades in Lithuania and so on. The other side, the organizers of the

Will Lithuanian law on ‘family values’ harm gay rights?

VILNIUS, Lithuania — It may not be on the level of Uganda’s draconian anti-gay legislation, which applies the death penalty to some homosexual relations, but Lithuania this month enacted a law that observers are calling worryingly homophobic.The “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” came into force on March