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Lithuania : legislative proposals to ban “homosexual propaganda”

This article discusses the legislative proposals in Lithuania to ban "homosexual propaganda" and the impact on the rights and freedoms of the LGBT community. It highlights the Laws on the Protection of Minors and various amendments that aim to criminalize actions related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The article also mentions the protests by the Lithuanian Gay League against these proposals.

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Lithuania : legislative proposals to ban “homosexual propaganda”

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  1. Lithuania: legislative proposals to ban “homosexual propaganda”

  2. Legislators have attempted to justify such laws with reference to protecting the morals of minors.

  3. The Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information has been in effect since March 1 of 2010.  This law classifies any information which “denigrates family values” or which “encourages a concept of marriage and family other than stipulated in the Constitution… and the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania” as detrimental to children and as a consequence, bans such information from places accessible to children. The law includes a provision that prohibitsspreading information that “promotes sexual relations“.

  4. Homophobic Member of Parliament Petras Grazulis has repeatedly proposed legislative initiatives banning “gay propaganda”, for example in 2012 a proposal for a new article in the Administrative Code entitled “Denigration of constitutional moral values”, aiming at criminalization of a very wide variety of actions and activities e.g. campaigning on human rights issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity, providing sexual health information to LGBT individuals, organization of LGBT film festivals, Pride events etc.

  5. Proposals to amendthe Administrative Offences Code have been repeatedly submitted, withdrawn, and proposed againwith modifications. The most recent ones are draft Article 214(30), entitled “Protection ofconstitutional moral values”, and draft Article 188(21), entitled “Denigration of constitutional moralvalues”. Both amendments say that penalties should be provided against the perpetrators of suchactions, in the form of fines from 1000 to 6000 LTL (345 to 1740 €).

  6. While the first amendment was rejected in the spring 2012, the second amendment was subject to a parliamentary vote on 5 June 2012. The Parliament recommended that it should be “improved”. On 22 June 2012, the parliamentary party “Order and Justice” proposed a referendum on a law amending article 38 of the Constitution which refers to family. The amendment aims at prohibiting the “propagation of homosexual relations”. It has already been supported by 47 members of the 141-memberParliament. While the first amendment was rejected in the spring 2012, the second amendmnt was subject to a parliamentary vote on 5 June 2012. The Parliament recommended that it should be “improved”. On 22 June 2012, the parliamentary party “Order and Justice” proposed a referendum on a law3 amending article 38 of the Constitution which refers to family. The amendment aims at prohibiting the “propagation of homosexual relations”. It has already been supported by 47 members of the 141-member Parliament.

  7. Lithuanian Gay League, protesting the proposals to ban freedom of expression and assembly for LGBT people, held a press conference and public action with waiving a 30 metres long rainbow flag near the Parliament on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia this year.

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