■ BANNED - 1:  The official European Union 'Stop Discrimination' Truck not allowed in Vilnius, says Mayor Juozas Imbrasas.  Truck is pictured outside the European Parliament building in Strasbourg. photo: European Union

LONDON, January 16, 2008  –  The Lithuanian Government faces censure over three breaches of the European Convention of Human Rights concerning gay issues in the past year.

News of the move comes a day after a British MP announced a similar question over Gibraltar.

Jean Huss, the lawmaker from Luxembourg has tabled a written question to Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) asking them to “engage in dialogue with the Lithuanian authorities”.

Mr. Huss, a member of the the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly, cites the ban by the city authorities of the planned visit last May of the European Union’s “anti-discrimination” truck to Vilnius during its tour of member states as part of the EU Year of Equal Opportunities for All campaign.

The city justified the ban on the basis of security risks posed by possible opponents of the event, which included an event planned by Lithuania Gay League, the country’s main lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisation, which involved the flying of the “rainbow flag”.

He also cited a statement from the Vilnius mayor, Juozas Imbrasas, when trolley bus drivers refused to operate vehicles carrying advertisements encouraging tolerance for lesbian and gay workers – the advertisements were jointly funded by the European Union and Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

“We do not approve of the public demonstration of homosexual ideas in the city of Vilnius,” the mayor said in a press release at the time.

■ BANNED - 2:  Vilnius trolley buses with ad promoting sexual orientation equality in the workplace.  The ad were funded by the European Union.  The ban decreed by Mayor  Imbrasas.

Then in October, Mr. Huss points out in his question to Ministers, the Vilnius city authorities refused permission for another public event, again centred on the display of a rainbow flag in the city, as part of the annual conference of the European region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

The ban was justified on the basis of “safety concerns” due to building works, but the city authorities refused to provide an alternative outdoor site, arguing the event could be held indoors.

Mr. Huss goes on to point out that Vilnius City Council amended its “Rules of Cleaning and Tidiness” [sic] to give it powers to refuse authorisation of events in public places during which, “in the opinion of the police or the commission, riots may arise or such events due to their nature may provoke negative public reaction or opposition”.

Such events, the city ordinance says, may be held only in enclosed spaces, in which the safety of the participants and viewers of the event is ensured.

The Luxembourg MP asks Ministers to “engage in dialogue with the Lithuanian authorities with a view to:

● drawing their attention to the judgment of the Court in Baczkowski and others v. Poland, and reaffirming their obligation to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and expression for all persons, including specifically lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons ;

● clarifying to the Lithuanian authorities that their role goes beyond merely recognising the existence of such rights, and includes the obligation to take positive actions to safeguard access to freedom of assembly for all persons ;

● seeking confirmation that they recognise the right of the LGBT community to exercise freedom of assembly and expression ;

● ensuring that the city of Vilnius "Rules of Cleaning and Tidiness" are amended so as not to be in conflict with the jurisprudence of the Court of Human Rights ;

● requesting that they set out the concrete measures they will take to put an end to the denial by public officials of freedom of assembly and expression to LGBT persons ;

● enquiring what wider plans the Lithuanian authorities have to combat homophobia and transphobia, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

SEE ALSO

Council of Europe Publishes Gibraltar Gay Discrimination Issue.  The official website of the Council of Europe has published the question tabled by UK Liberal Democrat MP Michael Hancock for reply by the Committee of Ministers regarding discrimination of gays in Gibraltar.  (UK Gay News, January 16, 2008)

RELATED LITHUANIA NEWS

From Seattle to Vilnius: Anti Gay New Generation Church Protests in Vilnius.  Last weekend, the Latvia-based Russia-speaking New Generation Church staged a conference near Seattle under the guise of its off-shoot Watchmen on the Walls.  This weekend, the New Generation Church’s Lithuanian branch took to the streets to protest the International Lesbian and Gay Association Europe annual conference in Vilnius.  (UK Gay News, October 27, 2007)

Amnesty Dismayed by Vilnius Mayor’s Decision to Ban Gay Rally.  Amnesty International said this afternoon that it was deeply concerned by yesterday’s attacks on the gay community in Vilnius, which saw the mayor ban a rally and an unconfirmed smoke bomb attack on an evening social event that formed part of the ILGA-Europe annual conference. (UK Gay News, October 27, 2007)

Banning of Gay Public Event ‘Outrageous’, Say ILGA-Europe Chiefs.  Senior officials of the International Lesbian and Gay Association Europe today slammed both the Vilnius city authorities and a local court for banning a public “rainbow flag” event in the city during the association’s annul conference, calling the situation “outrageous”. (UK Gay News, October 25, 2007)

European Commission Experiences Homophobia First Hand, Says Parliament’s Gay Rights Group.  The European Commission is now experiencing at first hand homophobia – and what it is like to be gay, or lesbian, or bisexual, or transgendered in parts of the European Union, a group of MEPs said today. (UK Gay News, May 23, 2007)

Mayor of Vilnius Bans Official EU Anti-Discrimination Truck From City.  Juozas Imbrasas, the Mayor of Vilnius, has today refused to give permission for the ‘anti-discrimination truck’ tour, currently touring 19 Member States as part of the ‘For Diversity: Against Discrimination’ information campaign, to make its planned stop in Vilnius on Friday.  (UK Gay News, May 23, 2007)

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Posted: 16 January 2008 at 00:00 (UK time)