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In 2023, IGLYO provided financial and technical support to 3 Member Organisations through our brand new IGLYO Grants Programme. Through their project, our Member the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) took advantage of their strong research and awareness-raising background to engage in national and international advocacy efforts to make the Lithuanian Government aware of the direct negative impacts of the Lithuanian “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” on the LGBTQI students in Lithuania.
LGL explained that, active since 2009, this law has created a chilling effect when it comes to all efforts in LGBTQI Inclusive Education. The most recent data of a survey they conducted indicates that the situation of LGBTQI students in Lithuanian schools worsened since 2017. The existence of this law encourages the notion that discussing LGBTI issues at schools is a taboo. Therefore, there is no mandatory teacher training on LGBTQI awareness, schools are not required to include LGBTQI-specific information in their anti-bullying policies, and the national curriculum is not LGBTQI-inclusive.
Yet, despite the criticism by human rights defenders and by international human rights bodies, the Law in question, and especially its article 4(2)(16), remains intact. This is why LGL believed that it is crucial to continue to build national and international pressure on the Lithuanian Government to remove the discriminatory clause of the so-called “anti-LGBTI propaganda Law”.
With the support of IGLYO, LGL sent letters to national and international institutions to make policy-makers aware of the negative effects of the article 4(2)(16). They also built pressure by collecting petition signatures, as well as by organising a protest, an advocacy roundtable, and a discussion involving policy-makers during an international conference in Vilnius.
Grant Amount & Budget: €10,000 | Duration: 15 May - 15 November 2023 | Target Groups: Policy-makers at national and international level, media, school stakeholders, general public.
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As part of their IGLYO Grants project, LGL circulated a petition to stand up against LGBTQI content censorship in Lithuania. While an advocacy letter was drafted for international bodies, strategic consultation with IGLYO led to the decision to delay its dissemination. Additionally, LGL updated a petition, gathering over 16,000 signatures — significantly surpassing the 1,470 signatures collected before the project's implementation.
On the 28th of September date, LGL practiced their right of peaceful assembly by protesting the provision of the Lithuanian Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information as well as to highlight the need for inclusive education.
Our IGLYO Board Member, João, joined LGL for this important demonstration. Unfortunately, a counterprotest by a group of anti-LGBTQI “pro-family values" people became hostile. Rather than allowing LGL to practice their human right of peaceful protest, they harassed them, interrupted speeches, and trampled on the flags brought by LGL. Unsurprisingly, the police present at the scene did not intervene or help the LGBTQI community.
We stand in solidarity with our Member LGL and the entire LGBTQI community of Lithuania. IGLYO supports LGL's work through our IGLYO Grants system and will continue to work closely with them. There has never been a more important time to fight for the rights of LGBTQI young people which are under a coordinated attack by far right individuals across Europe.
Read our full statement supporting LGL.
On 7 November 2023, LGL organised an international conference for the project “Nothing About Us Without Us: Empowering LGBT youth in the fight against bullying”. At the event, they discussed the need to abolish the discriminatory provision of the Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information, which has repeatedly been applied to restrict information related to the LGBT community.
IGLYO is extremely proud of LGL's achievements through their IGLYO Grants project 2023. We feel inspired by their relentless work and efforts to stand up against the censorship of LGBTQI content in Lithuania and are proud to keep on working together towards the freedom of our communities in Lithuania and beyond.
This project is led by the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL), supported by the IGLYO Grants Programme 2023 and funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
