Surprisg History of First Unrground Gay Clubs Lhuania - LGL

Contents:

• THE BEST VILNI GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS VILNI
• GAY VILNI
• THE BEST VILNI GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS VILNI
• SURPRISG HISTORY OF FIRST UNRGROUND GAY CLUBS LHUANIA
• GAY SPORT BAR VILNI

THE BEST VILNI GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS VILNI

And not Vilni, which has currently hosted more anti-gay monstratns than tolerant on.

GAY VILNI

Above: Please sert image om 2007's gay pri rally 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.

In rponse to the news, an anti-homosexual monstratn was swiftly anised September an attempt to prevent such blasphemy. 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.

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.

THE BEST VILNI GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS VILNI

Dpe Lhuania's entry to the EU, gay visors to Vilni should not expect the same social acceptance as most EU natns. Here, homosexualy is still soundly nmned by every major social stutn om the ernment to the Church to the mass media. The answer, as the article would overtly expla, was gays and Jewish people.

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. Unr Stal, after all, 'no one was homosexual' and 'sex did not exist.

SURPRISG HISTORY OF FIRST UNRGROUND GAY CLUBS LHUANIA

' Homosexualy was a crime (much more dangero than dg-alg apparently) and punished as such. Until 1993, was still illegal to be homosexual Lhuania, and the law was only then repealed bee of prsure om the Council of Europe, which Lhuania was tryg to jo.

Many olr Lhuanians ntue to view homosexualy as an illns. " 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).

As a rult, Vilni' gay and lbian muny is rather small, wh few people brave enough to speak about their orientatn. 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 .

GAY SPORT BAR VILNI

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.

In May 2007, Vilni will utly host s first-ever gay pri event, Rabow Days.

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. 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.