LITHUANIA/FILE: Lithuanian Gay pride parade to go ahead

Record ID: 277545

  • Title: LITHUANIA/FILE: Lithuanian Gay pride parade to go ahead
  • Date: 10th May 2010
  • Summary: RIGA, LATVIA (FILE - JULY 23, 2005) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARCHERS IN LATVIA'S FIRST GAY PRIDE PARADE TALLINN, ESTONIA (FILE - AUGUST 13, 2005) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) GAY RIGHTS MARCHERS WITH RAINBOW FLAGS AND UMBRELLAS MARCHERS WITH RAINBOW, ESTONIAN AND LATVIAN FLAGS VARIOUS OF GAY PRIDE MARCH
  • Embargoed: 25th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVADGVP7SVOAHEOBNE5I97B4RLWA
  • Story Text: Lithuania's first gay pride march is to go ahead on Saturday (May 8), after a court overturned a previous ban on the event.
    A lower court had imposed the ban on Wednesday (May 6) over concerns that the parade would result in violence.
    But the Supreme Administrative Court decided on Friday (May 7) that according to the European Human Rights Convention the state had a responsibility to secure the right to assembly and expression.
    Organisers of the event were delighted with the decision.
    "I feel very positive about the court giving permission for our public event, and tomorrow we, about 350 participants from Lithuania and abroad, will show that our rights are equal to everyone else's," said the Chairman of the Lithuanian Gay League, Vladimir Simonko.
    Amnesty International said the court's decision was a landmark ruling.
    "It's a victory for tolerance over prejudice, and those who have been looking at this judgement from around the world. and there are many of them, will be delighted to have seen that the rule of law and the respect for human rights has, in the end, prevailed in Lithuania," said John Dalhuisen from Amnesty International (UK).
    But while the parade is expected to go ahead, there is much opposition to gay rights in Lithuania.
    "The latest opinion polls show that 73% of Lithuanians are against the sexual minorities march, which is planned for Saturday, and only 10 percent of Lithuanians would support this event," said Inge Nausediene, a sociologist from polling company "Rait".
    "Based on this data I would say that Lithuanians have negative altitudes towards sexual minorities," she added.
    When asked their opinion of the march, many on the streets of Vilnius appeared to confirm the poll's findings.
    "I have a negative, very negative, opinion. Why is it necessary to show these degenerates?" said one Vilnius resident, Irena.
    "I am against this march. It shouldn't happen. Anyhow, it would be better, if they went to church," added Sergejus.
    Kastytis was concerned the march would influence children.
    "I don't support it because it blatantly shows such issues to children, because not only adults live in society but small children as well. It is shameful that children will watch and hear what is going on," he said, while Indre said she felt the event was premature for Lithuanians.
    "An immature society isn't ready to accept people who are different than they are," she said.
    It is expected that 800 police officers will be deployed to secure the safety of marchers during the event.
    The first gay pride march in the Baltics was held in the Estonian capital Tallinn in 2004, while the first Latvian parade was one year later in 2005.
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