Lithuania throttles gay rights

Rights groups are calling on EU leaders to act after Lithuanian lawmakers approved controversial legislation that they say makes homosexuals "second class citizens" and breaches European conventions on human rights. The legislation passed by Lithuania's parliament this week bans the discussion of homosexuality in schools and any reference to it in public information available to children. Gay and human rights groups have condemned the law, claiming it institutionalises homophobia, is discriminatory, and violates the right to freedom of expression. They say it will also make gay youths more vulnerable, as teachers and other school students will be unable to provide information to them about homosexuality, or could be afraid to help them if they are bullied or attacked by peers. They also believe it breaches the European Convention on Human Rights, and have called on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and EU leaders to put pressure on the Lithuanian government and president, who has yet to sign the law into effect, to amend it. Juris Lavrikos, spokesman for ILGA-Europe, the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, told IPS: "This law breaches at the very least the spirit and principles of European conventions. We are now working with MEPs to get an EU resolution on this drawn up while we have also prepared a letter to European Commission president Jose Barosso on the matter. "We want to build up political momentum and pressure to have this law changed. This move by the Lithuanian parliament is discriminatory and backward." Other international rights groups such as Amnesty International have attacked the law and are coordinating with local gay rights organisations in Lithuania to launch protest action and campaigns to have the legislation either overturned entirely or amended. In a statement given to media, Amnesty officials said the legislation "reinforced discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation" and was "part of a growing climate of intimidation and discrimination in Lithuania against lesbians, gay men and bisexual and transgender people." Rights groups have said, though that while the law is blatantly discriminatory, it is unclear whether it directly contravenes EU rights legislation. They say EU anti-discrimination laws only cover discrimination in employment, but not in other areas. Lavrikos from ILGA-Europe told IPS: "We are taking legal advice as to whether this legislation breaches the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights as it segregates and discriminates against people of a certain sexual orientation. "However, examining the legal applications and ramifications of this law before it has come into effect is very hard. It is not part of any labour laws, and to take legal action it would have to be put into effect and a person would have to come forward and say that they have been discriminated against. "This is why we are trying to coordinate political pressure first to have this legislation changed before taking legal steps." Meanwhile, local gay rights groups say that approval of the law is little surprise in a country governed by conservative politicians and with a generally homophobic society strongly influenced by a Catholic Church promoting adherence to traditional Christian "family values", and a powerful media who freely and without censure label homosexuals as "perverts". Eduardos Latovas from the Lithuania Gay League told IPS: "Even though we have equality bodies and similar organisations, the public attitudes here are generally very homophobic. "The Catholic Church here promotes traditional family values when it comes to sexual orientation, while there is a very dominant media group called Respublica which has newspapers which preach homophobia. They refer to homosexuals as 'perverts', and there is no public opposition at all to this, nor any punishment from authorities for the publication. These kind of groups are very influential in a small country like Lithuania (population 3.5 million). "MPs have also made it clear that they do not want any gay pride marches or similar events here." Experts say that the situation for homosexuals is little different in many other Eastern European countries. They point to violent clashes last month at gay pride rallies in Poland and Russia, and an outright ban in Ukraine on similar events. The first ever Baltic Pride event in Riga, Latvia, only went ahead this year after a ban imposed by opposition city councillors was overturned by authorities. Surveys have also exposed the depth of anti-gay feeling in some states. A recent report from the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency showed that support for same sex marriages in western European countries like the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark (82 percent, 71 percent and 69 percent respectively) was high but that the figure in Eastern European countries such as Latvia (12 percent) and in Romania (11 percent) was much lower. Powerful politicians in some countries in the region are openly homophobic. The head of the Slovakian government coalition Slovak National Party has made repeated anti-gay comments, while members of the Polish opposition Law and Justice party have claimed homosexuality is a disease. Its former leader and now Polish President Lech Kazcynski once also said homosexuality would bring about the end of the world. Yuriy Luzkhov, mayor of Moscow, branded homosexuality "satanic" when he announced a ban on a gay pride march. But analysts believe that part of the anti-homosexual attitude in these societies is not just down to the influence of anti-gay politicians, media or the Church, but also has its roots in the ideology and thinking of the communist regimes which ruled the region until 20 years ago. Lavrikos from ILGA-Europe told IPS: "Under communism, countries in Eastern Europe were not part of the social evolution that took place in the west regarding homosexuality during that time. "Baltic gay communities are not as developed or visible as in the West, and as these countries are very small and people live in places where many people know many others, it is very hard for some people to come out and be openly gay. In the local gay pride events many people have been scared to be there and be seen as openly gay." May say that prejudice is being fuelled by the current economic hardship in many eastern European states and the subsequent rise of far-right groups who stoke public anger against all minorities. "They are doing the same with Roma, immigrants and any other minorities they can think of. They are just playing on people's insecurities and fears at a time of economic crisis and looking to point fingers at anyone they can portray as the 'enemy'," Lavrikos told IPS. They say the best way to combat such opinion is to work with lawmakers in these countries, via the EU, which Lithuania and seven other Easter European states joined in 2004, to change thinking and values in society.