LGL Renewed its Efforts to End LGBT Content Censorship in Lithuania

For thirteen years now, the regulatory system in Lithuania has embedded a law resembling the Russian anti-gay propaganda laws: the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information.

One of its amendments defines harmful information as “disdaining family values” and promoting “alternative” family.

Although the Government assured that the law was not going to be applied in a discriminatory way, two social pro-LGBT videos have already been censored and one social documentary was postponed until the regulatory authority carried out a decision on its content’s compatibility with the above-mentioned regulation. Unreasonably relying on the “anti-gay propaganda” provision, some schools still obstruct access to inclusive education which also affects the deteriorating state of LGBTIQ students’ emotional wellbeing.

EC(t)HR in Macate v. Lithuania, a case which concerned state-imposed restrictions for distributing a fairy-tale book with LGBTIQ-friendly content, found that information cannot be considered harmful simply because it contains information about same-sex relationships. Following CSO advocacy efforts and the EC(t)HR decision in Macate v. Lithuania, the Ministry of Justice initiated a proposal to repeal the “anti-gay propaganda” provision. It is expected that the Lithuanian Parliament will consider it in its upcoming session.

Stand up against LGBT+ content censorship in Lithuania by signing this petition!

The petition is part of the project Protecting LGBTI youth by Repealing the Discriminatory Provision of the Lithuanian Law on the Protection of Minors, funded by the European Union with the support of IGLYO.

Оrigin: lgl.lt