Presentation by Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius from the Lithuanian Gay League on the Lithuanian EU Presidency and the inclusion of LGBT* youth within it delivered at the LGBT Youth & Social Inclusion Conference (Dublin, June 17th 2013) an associated Irish Presidency event. This conference was supported by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs (Ireland). It was organised in collaboration with ILGA-Europe, the International LGBTQ Youth & Student Organisation (IGLYO), the National Youth Council of Ireland and the European Youth Forum. Find out more about the conference on our website here: http://www.belongto.org/pro/page.aspx?subsectionid=9134

1. Lithuanian
EU Presidency.
Where is LGBT*
(Youth)?

3. LGBT* Youth in Lithuania:
Laws, Sexual Education and
Anti-Bullying

4. GENERAL OVERVIEW
 there is NO comprehensive approach towards
social inclusion of LGBT* Youth – this category
simply DOES NOT exist;
 current status of the law implies that information on
LGBT* issues is technically considered as
detrimental to the minors – CSOs are barred from
intervening;
 there is NO officially adopted sexual educational
program compulsory for all (public) schools;
 there is NO official data on how many LGBT* pupils
are bullied, harassed and experience discrimination
at schools on grounds of SO, GI or GE;

5. CURRENT STATUS OF THE LAW
 the Law on “Protection of Minors against the
Detrimental Effect of Public Information” (2010)
does not classify information on homosexuality per
se as detrimental to the minors, BUT . . .
A) prohibits information, which “promotes [sic!] sexual
relations”, and
B) prohibits information, which “expresses contempt
for family values, encourages the concept of entry
into a marriage and creation of family other than
stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of
Lithuania and the Civil Code.”

6. CURRENT STATUS OF THE LAW
SCOPE of the LAW:
 information has to be DIRECTLY directed towards the
minors;
 the provision has been NEVER substantially applied –
the need for TESTING the Law.
EFFECTS of the LAW:
 CSOs are de jure barred from engaging with LGBT*
Youth up to 18 years old;
 young LGBT people do not have access to the
appropriate information, support and necessary
protection to enable them to live their SO, GI and GE;

7. SEXUAL EDUCATION
 NO official teaching program on sexual education has
been ever developed by the Ministry of Education, i.e. it is
not clear what is the content of sexual education classes
provided in schools (if any);
 the views and values of teachers and administration staff
in schools:
79.3% DO NOT agree that same-sex relationships can be
viewed as an alternative to the traditional family;
88.5% AGREE that family is based only on the marriage
between a man and a woman.
CONCLUSION:
LGBT* issues are either absent or presented in a negative
way within the curricula and educational material at

8. ANTI-BULLYING STRATEGY
 NO measures adopted for the protection of LGBT*
pupils from bullying and social exclusion;
 NO official data on how many LGBT* pupils are
bullied, harassed and experience discrimination;
 NO equality and safety policies, codes of conduct or
training programs for staff with the view of promoting
tolerance and respect for LGBT* pupils.
LITHUNIA has the second worst suicide rate among
young people between 15-19 years old in the WORLD
(24 per 10’000)
No possible link established – rather “protecting” LGBT*
Youth from “homosexual propaganda” than fostering
social inclusion and open dialogue.

9. EU Presidency as a platform for
promoting LGBT* rights in
Lithuania

10. 27 July 2013
Baltic Pride
Lithuanian EU
Presidency
20th
Anniversary of
Decriminalization of
Homosexuality in
Lithuania (1993)

11. LEGAL CASE
 unilateral relocation of the Baltic Pride 2013 March
for Equality from Gediminas Avenue to the isolated
and inaccessible area;
 LGL appealed against the decision before the
national courts – on 11 April 2013 LGL partially won
the legal case;
 the Vilnius City Municipality appealed against the
decision – the Supreme Administrative Court will
deliver its FINAL judgment on 18 June 2013;
 the public authorities on the national level are
disseminating the message that the local LGBT*
community is intentionally seeking to harm the
country’s image in the course of the Presidency;

12. IT IS
INSTITUTIONALIZED
HOMOPHOBIA
AND NOT THE LEGITIMATE
CLAIMS OF THE LOCAL
LGBT* COMMUNITY, WHICH
IS HARMING THE
COUNTRY’S IMAGE

13. THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE PRESIDENCY
 the MFA has granted an official status of the EU
Presidency event for an international LGBT* human
rights conference on 26 July 2013 in Vilnius;
 the public authorities have realized that it won’t be
possible to sweep the LGBT* issues “under the
carpet” – it is becoming their well-deserved
“headache” ;
 the Ministry of Social Affairs is proposing to
establish a working group on LGBT* issues

14. LITHUANIAN PRESIDENCY and the TRIO
 The European LGBT* agenda is likely to be ‘postponed’,
i.e. Lithuania does not support EU Roadmap for LGBT*
Equality and the new Anti-Discrimination Directive is
not included among social priorities;
 despite the fact that the EU Presidency provides unique
opportunities in promoting LGBT* rights at home, the
LGBT* related controversies might become the defining
characteristic of the period;
 some politicians are abusing the publicity of the
Presidency in order to manifest that certain European
values are not acceptable in the Lithuanian society (i.e.
homo- and transphobic legislative initiatives);