LITHUANIA

Anti-Gay Demonstration in Vilnius

 
 

by Juris Lavrikovs
ILGA-Europe
 

  


 

 

Around 50 people gathered on the Europe Square in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Friday (September 30) to protest against possible gay pride march and ‘spread’ of homosexuality in Lithuania.  All major Christian denominations expressed their support for this demonstration.

In the statement before the demonstration, the organisers warned about the ‘attack by homosexuals’ and highlighted the fact that the Lithuanian lesbians and gay men received thousands of Euros from abroad and that the gay march is inevitable and therefore they must stop the spread of sin.

The protesters had such posters as “Down with homophiles”, “Against abortion”, “No to gay marriage”.  Amongst the protesters were Catholic priests and known Lithuanian national radicals who carried flags with the symbols similar to swastika.  Some of the skinheads told the media that they were for the ‘normal society without various deviations’.

Participants of the demonstration appealed for ‘moral society’ and family and warned about various dangerous for the traditional family and mentioned homosexuality as the major threat.

K.Oka, one of the participants, told the media that the gay marches in the neighbouring countries caused him to take part in anti-gay demonstration.  He said: “Of course, they [sexual minorities] will soon organise a march in Vilnius and therefore we need to ensure in advance it will not be possible.  While they are in their clubs we do not fight against them, they are not our enemies. However once they are on the streets, they are our enemies”.

Eduards Platovas, representative of the Lithuanian Gay League told the BNS news agency already in the middle of July just before the pride marches in Latvia and Estonia, that the Lithuanian lesbians and gay men are currently do not have plans to organise pride march in their country and mentioned two reasons – lack of resources and very high level of homophobia in Lithuania.

 

LINKS

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Posted: 2 October  2005 at 22:30 (UK time)
 

 

 
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