Lithuania: Situation of homosexuals, including names and addresses of gay clubs, districts and NGOs (2001-February 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 18 February 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LTU38567.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Lithuania: Situation of homosexuals, including names and addresses of gay clubs, districts and NGOs (2001-February 2002), 18 February 2002, LTU38567.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be6424.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
For a comprehensive description of the situation of homosexuals in Lithuania, please see Equality for Lesbians and Gay Men, a report published in March 2001 by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) – Europe and available at
For information on the coverage of homosexuality by Lithuanian media, please see On the Margins: Representations of Sexual Minorities in the Lithuanian Press (2000-01) available at http://www.policy.hu/~tereskinas/article1.html>. This essay was written by Arturas Tereskinas, asssociate professor at the Vytautas Magnus University, director of the V. Kavolis Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Vytautas Magnus University and international policy fellow at the Budapest Open Society Institute.
From 15 to 18 August 2001, lesbian and gay activists from several Eastern European countries including Lithuania gathered in Riga, Latvia, to participate in the International Conference "Gay and Lesbian Rights in Eastern Europe" (ILGA Europe Newsletter Nov. 2001, 19). In an appeal to parliaments of Eastern European countries, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and embassies of Western countries in Latvia, participants described the situation of homosexuals in Eastern Europe as follows:
Lesbians and gay men are subject to regular and systematic violation of their basic human rights by legislation, governmental bodies, administrative agencies in all Eastern European states represented, including those who are candidates for full membership in the European Union (ibid.).
In its October 2001 issue, Euro-Letter, a periodical published on behalf of ILGA-Europe by the international branch of the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians, indicates that the repeal of "discriminatory" laws on same-sex relationships by the Lithuanian parliament had not yet come into force. The Euro-Letter article does not provide details on these laws. However, referring to "discriminatory laws" of the criminal code, the ILGA Europe Newsletter noted in August 2001 that the new criminal code adopted by the Lithuanian parliament had not been implemented yet.
In early 2001, the non-governmental organization Lithuanian Gay League reportedly asked members of the government and of the parliamentary committee on human rights and legal affairs to abolish legal restrictions and privileges based on sexual orientation (BNS 22 Feb. 2001), in particular those regarding homosexual marriages (ibid.; GayLawNews 2001). The chair of the parliamentary committee, Gediminas Dalinkevicius, promised to add the League's request to the agenda of the committee (BNS 22 Feb. 2001). However, the chair questioned the existence of discrimination based on sexual orientation in Lithuania as alleged by homosexual organizations (ibid.), but acknowledged that the "strong Catholic values" characterizing Lithuania made "debates over legalization of homosexuality and homosexual marriages" still premature (ibid.; GayLawNews 2001). Gediminas Dalinkevicius and Vilenas Vadapalas, the chair of the European Law Department which examines the compatibility of Lithuanian laws with European Union legislation, both were unaware of any Lithuanian laws "subjecting sexual minorities to discrimination" (BNS 22 Feb. 2001).
The Website of the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) makes reference to the following organizations representing Lithuanian gays and/or lesbians, and clubs :
ORGANIZATIONS
LGL (Lithuanian Gay League)
P.O. Box 2862, Vilnius 2000, Lithuania
Phone/fax: +370 (2) 333031
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.gay.lt/lgl
SOLIDA (LGL Lesbian League)
P.O. Box 2862, Vilnius 2000, Lithuania
SAPPHO (Lithuanian Lesbian League)
P.O. Box 2204, Vilnius 2049, Lithuania
URL: http://www.is.lt/sappho
KASLO (Organization for Sexual Equality of Kaunas District)
P.O. Box 1045, Kaunas, 3042, Lithuania
Phone: +370 (7) 705737
E-mail: [email protected]
CLUBS
Vilnius
MEN'S FACTORY
Address: 1px ygimantu, Vilnius
...
Phones: +370 (99) 85009 or +370 (2) 384088
(local numbers are 8-(299) 85009 or 8-(22) 384088)
Web: http://www.gay.lt/factory/
Kaunas
MEFISTOFELIS
Address: Ignalinos g. 21, Kaunas
...
Phone: +370 (89)-76494 or +370 (7)-700584
(local numbers are 8-(289) 76494 or 8-(27)-700584)
Klaipeda
NAKTINE LEDI
ilutes pl. 21, tel. 41 09 21 (LGL 1997-2001)
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Baltic News Service (BNS). 22 February 2001. "Lithuanian Gays Call Upon Government to Legalize Homosexual Marriages." (NEXIS)
Euro-Letter [Copenhagen]. October 2001. "More Information on Discrimination by Council of Europe Member States Against Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals." ([email protected])
GayLawNews. 2001. "Lithuanian Gays Seek Marriage Rights."
The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) – Europe [Brussels]. March 2001. Equality for Lesbians and Gay Men.
The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) – Europe Newsletter [Brussels]. November 2001. "Lesbian and Gay Activists from Eastern and Central Europe Met."
_____. August 2001. "Exciting Developments."
Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) [Vilnius]. 1997-2001. "Guide."
Tereskinas, Arturas. n.d. On the Margins: Representations of Sexual Minorities in the Lithuanian Press (2000-01).
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International
British Helsinki Human Rights Group
The European Commission
Freedom House
GayGuide.Net
Gay Today
Gay/Lesbian International News Network (GLINN)
TheGully.com
Human Rights Watch
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)
Planet Out
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) [Prague]
RainbowNetwork.com
Rex Wockner's International News
Situation of lesbians and gays in Council of Europe member states 6 June 2000
The Texas Triangle [Dallas]
US Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
World News Connection (WNC)
