On 22nd March, 2018  the fifth annual National Equality and Diversity Awards took place at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. A jury and online voters selected people, organizations and initiatives to be honoured for their contributions in the field of human rights in 2017. This event has become a symbol of appreciation

LGL’s EVS Volunteer Arnold Took Part in His Mid-Term Training

My mid-term training took place in Trakai, 9-13 April. Our team consisted of two Lithuanian trainers and 12 EVS volunteers from Germany, Austria, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal and Romania. The main aim of the workshops was to make us reflect on our past, present and future. This allowed us to take a more holistic

Coming Out event at the LGBTI+ Community Center

Coming out is an important step in queer people’s lives. The wish to live fully and proudly is often clouded by the fear of alienation or of putting our safety at risk. Moreover, the weight of hiding part of our identity is frequently wrapped around feelings of shame and self-doubt. It is important to find

Lithuanian “Human Rights Oscars” Awarded at the Palace of the Grand Dukes

On the evening of March 22nd at the Palace of the Grand Dukes, the National Equality and Diversity Awards took place. A commission and online voters selected people, organizations and initiatives to be honored for their contributions in the field of human rights in 2017. Individuals and initiatives were awarded in eight categories: The Breakthrough

LGBT+ Mental Health Workshop at LGL

Mental health is instrumental during every stage of life, from childhood, adolescence and through adulthood. It compasses our emotional, psychological and social well-being. The way of thinking, mood, behaviour and social interaction are some of the areas affected by Mental Health. For LGBTI+ individuals, being mentally and emotionally healthy can sometimes be a difficult mission.

LGL and Embassies Cooperate on the Rainbow Days 2018

On March 26th, 2018 a meeting in preparation for the upcoming „Rainbow Days“ 2018 festival, organized by the National LGBT* rights organization LGL, was held at the Swedish Embassy in Vilnius. During the meeting the representatives of LGL and foreign embassies discussed the possible cooperation in organizing the upcoming „Rainbow Days“ 2018 festival and ways

The Association of Young Psychiatrists and more than thirty other organisations condemn the Parliament’s intention to ban gender reassignment in Lithuania. On 20th March, 2017 the organisations circulated their position to the Lithuanian Parliament, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice, stating that a compelling proposal by the Parliament to ban gender reassignment

Same-sex marriage was the topic for the second session of LGL’s Book Club

For the second book club session, the group discussed about same-sex marriage and its role in LGBT+ advocacy. To start the conversation, we discussed chapters taken from the book Against Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion, edited by Ryan Conrad. Against Equality is an online archive of different writings that critique mainstream LGBT* politics. In

Rainbow Rights Project Partners Met in Helsinki (Finland)

On March 7th, 2018 representatives of the National LGBT* rights organization LGL attended a Rainbow Rights: Promoting LGBTI Equality in Europe project steering committee meeting held in Helsinki (Finland). During the meeting, the project partners discussed forthcoming activities and events, shared ideas about how to make project activities more visible and reviewed project’s communication plan

Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union issued a statement explaining why the Istanbul Convention on violence against women will not be ratified in the Lithuanian Parliament’s Spring Session. The widespread declaration states that the Istanbul Convention is being “assessed controversially” and should be addressed primarily to those members of the Council of Europe who have not

Ausma Sakalauskaitė (35) is an organist who teaches music, plays in churches and at funerals, and although she is not an LGBT activist, being in the closet is definitely not an option for her. In this report, she tells us about the price of being out in public, working in the countryside and about some

Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences (LEU) asked a transgender person, who has recently changed her legal documents, to submit a declaration stating that she has lost her diploma. According to LEU, this is the sole way to receive a duplicate diploma. Since cases like this are not regulated, transgender people can find themselves in absurd