Gay rights the European Unn: The long journey out of the closet for Lhuania’s gay muny | Internatnal | EL PAÍS English

Contents:

• GAY VILNI
• GAY LIFE LHUANIA
• GAY DATG LHUANIA
• THE LONG JOURNEY OUT OF THE CLOSET FOR LHUANIA’S GAY MUNY
• BT GAY DATG APPS FOR HOOKUPS, RELATNSHIPS, AND EVERYTHG BETWEEN
• WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE

GAY VILNI

Sixteen years after Lhuania liberated self om Soviet shackl, the hardly-risque Internatnal Lbian and Gay Associatn (ILGA) announced they will hold their annual European nference Vilni.

GAY LIFE LHUANIA

One participant, speakg out agast homosexuals, said, "Of urse, they will soon anise a march Vilni and therefore we need to ensure advance will not be possible.

GAY DATG LHUANIA

This opn is more mon than not the Baltic untri where homophobia remas firmly entrenched, ntrast to Wtern Europe where gays and lbians have bee visible, if not fully accepted, members of society.

In fact, homophobic jok and allns are monplace Vilni' prs, where daily tabloid Vakaro Zs ('The Eveng News') routely refers to gays as 'chickenpricks.

Perhaps the most shockg factoid me om a 2003 poll which revealed that 68% of Lhuanians would prefer to live next door to a dg aler or nvicted crimal than a homosexual. Until 1993, was still illegal to be homosexual Lhuania, and the law was only then repealed bee of prsure om the Council of Europe, which Lhuania was tryg to jo.

THE LONG JOURNEY OUT OF THE CLOSET FOR LHUANIA’S GAY MUNY

" This wispread and stutnalised homophobia mak almost impossible for gay Lhuanians to reveal their sexual orientatn (no Lhuanian celebry or public figure has ever e out as openly gay).

Young people are creasgly open to alternative liftyl and gay travellers needn't worry (for the most part) about beg pummeled on the streets. Lol anisatns like the Lhuanian Lbian and Gay League (LLGL) have been quietly meetg and orchtratg sensisatn mpaigns, semars and bat for over a . That such an anisatn - workg towards the regnn and acceptance of gays LT - is forced to operate wh such extreme discretn speaks volum about the current stat of homosexuals the untry.

Regardls of public reactn to this event, the ftival is a major step towards creatg solidary wh Vilni' gay and lbian muny, enuragg muny awarens and slowg wearg down Lhuania's evasn of homosexual issu.

BT GAY DATG APPS FOR HOOKUPS, RELATNSHIPS, AND EVERYTHG BETWEEN

Wh Rabow Days as a primer for the nference, lol and European anisatns should have a better ia of how ready and willg Lhuania is to face the gay skeleton s closet, and how bt to support s 'g out. For gay travellers to Vilni, the cy has snt offergs terms of gay-iendly nightlife, wh only one official gay club (perhaps the only all of Lhuanian), but 's a doozy. If you know of other particularly gay-iendly plac Vilni, please let know; and feel ee to post your ments about gay Vilni on this page below.

WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE

Poland is beg ls and ls homophobic wh a transsexual woman the parliament and a gay as a mayor of a cy of Słupsk wh nearly 100, 000 habants.

Per he' Luania tanti problemi e poi giro per Italian tostrada nei percheggi troviamo mnisti Che si lasciano fare Di tutto da noi Gay e' gorse Che a Casa logo Hanno Lra poi quanto sono fluori l loro terrorial fanno tutto CIO Che non pls sono fare Luania a UDINE nel parchegg Della dogma a al sabato sera e Domi dove parchegg no si fa Di tutto e dipiu' basta dare loro barre e works poi ti fanno saltire sul Camn e li fai n Lui CIO Che tu voi allograft mi domanda se lomossuala' non e' accept tats Luania per he' quanto sono fluori l loro terror fanno tutto e si se to ntenti e liberati dal loro modo Di venre... Jt when you thk Amerins take the ke for beg homophobic then you go to Lhuania and fd out there are people more stupid and partner is Lhuanian and god for bid his fay or village fd out he is uld/would kill him and would be totally acceptable. A lot of young handsome people, mostly gay and bisexual boys and mens, addn som lbian girls an dwimens, and some one who has not sid yet, or are cure for what they want.

Please be assured, that gay people, along wh their straight iends, will never stop fightg for equaly and for the realisatn that is not a bad thg to love someone of the same sex. I saw Gay Pri Vilni and was very strange - small, shy monstratn wh most foreign people (also wh Polish supporters) lookg like a prott of workers of a supermarket.