Statements from Tolerant Youth Association of Lithuania
und Bilder der Proteste in Bruxelles

Tolerant Youth Association of Lithuania issues following statement:

Tolerant Youth Association

26.06.2009: On Friday there were activists outside the Presidential Palace requesting the President of Lithuania to veto the controversial Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information. According to this law, "propaganda for homosexuality and bisexuality" is one of the detrimental effectors on the minors and information on homosexuality and bisexuality is banned from schools and any other places accessible to youngsters.

Students, activists from LGL (Lithuanian gay league) and Tolerant Youth Association (LGBTQ advocacy group) were urging the President of Lithuania to veto the law which is "a spit into the face of European values". Well known gay singer in Lithuania Ruslanas Kirilkinas addressed his songs to the President of Lithuania calling him to be fair to all Lithuanian people and not to discriminate them according to their sexual orientation.

The President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus earlier on Thursday said: "I do not know whether negative opinion of the international organisations on this law will have any influence upon my decision".

The chairman of Tolerant youth association Vytautas Valentinavičius repented: "The Catholic Church has an enormous influence on the President of Lithuania as well as Seimas. The President of Lithuania has never stood up for Human rights, especially LGBT rights, so this time we do not expect much either. I appreciate the support of international organisations which protest against such countries as Lithuania that violate Human rights and humiliate homosexual people so I believe he put veto on this law only because of the influence of international allies." "There is no any word about LGBT rights in the statement issued today where the President explained his decision to veto the controversial law".

^"I am shocked with recent occurrences in Lithuania. I always thought Lithuania, a member of the European Union, would respect and protect the European values same as it is respected elsewhere. I never thought that aforementioned issues would ever be raised in Seimas." "However, recent occurrences are the sign to all of us that not all European Union member states are willing to respect and protect European values".

---

29.06.2009:

My dear friends,

I'm glad to inform you that after the huge pressure from human rights organizations, human rights activists from all the world including Lithuania encouraged our President to use his veto.

Thank you for your support too. We will inform you what will be next.

All best,
Tolerant Youth Association
Arturas Rudomanskis, Chairman of the board.

Zusammen mit LGBT-Organisationen wie ILGA und ParlamentarierInnen protestierte am Mittwoch Amnesty International in Bruxelles für das Recht auf Information:
Educate - Don't Discriminate - All Human Beings have the same Human Rights.













Zusammen mit LGBT-Organisationen wie ILGA und ParlamentarierInnen protestierte am Mittwoch Amnesty International in Bruxelles für das Recht auf Information:
Educate - Don't Discriminate - All Human Beings have the same Human Rights.

Michael Cashman, member of the European Parliament (right) Dirk De Meirleir, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe (centre), are speaking with a representative of the Lithuanian mission in Brussels who came out to speak to the protesters (left).



ILGA-Europes Fotos - Protest demo against homophobic law in Lithuania. Bruxelles, 23. Juni 2009.



Michael Cashman, member of the European Parliament (right) Dirk De Meirleir, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe (centre), are speaking with a representative of the Lithuanian mission in Brussels who came out to speak to the protesters (left).