Despite widespread opposition in the deeply Roman Catholic state, Lithuania's gay community has started filming a TV campaign in hopes of generating support for an upcoming gay pride match.
The ads, made by young French film director Francois Message and partly funded by the French embassy, show various homosexuals talking on camera about living their sexual orientation in the country.
Gay Marriage Opponents Called 'Homophobic' by Paris Protesters
Critics of a gay marriage bill moving through parliament were denounced as homophobic by some 5,000 protesters in Paris on Wednesday.
Advertisement
"I don't like that I can't show my partner to my colleagues. I am lesbian and I support Baltic pride", said one, a 59-year-old who gave only her first name as Irena, speaking for an ad filmed in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
"The problem is the lack of knowledge. When you know LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) people, you realize it's fine, it's the same. I hope that these videos help to understand that for people who don't know or are afraid", Message, 26, told AFP.
![French Senate Grants Gay Couples the Right to Marry]( "French Senate Grants Gay Couples the Right to Marry")
Clearing the way for a law that has sparked protests from conservatives and religious groups, France's Senate approved the crucial first article of a bill granting gay couples the right to marry.
The ads promoting the gay march will be shown nationwide in July, weeks before the homosexual rights campaigners will hold their second rally in the EU country.
An opinion poll released in March showed 62 percent of Lithuanians are opposed to the gay march.
But Vladimiras Simonko, a leading Lithuanian gay rights activist, said opposition has dropped since 2010 when police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters.
Simonko praised the support from France, which is poised to adopt gay marriage law after heated debates and protests.
Same-sex relations were decriminalised in Lithuania in 1993, three years after the country declared independence from the crumbling Soviet Union, which had banned homosexuality.
Lithuania, where 77 percent of the three-million-strong population is Roman Catholic, joined the European Union in 2004.
Source: AFP
French Senate Grants Gay Couples the Right to Marry
Clearing the way for a law that has sparked protests from conservatives and religious groups, France's Senate approved the crucial first article of a bill granting gay couples the right to marry.
Advertisement
The ads promoting the gay march will be shown nationwide in July, weeks before the homosexual rights campaigners will hold their second rally in the EU country.
An opinion poll released in March showed 62 percent of Lithuanians are opposed to the gay march.
But Vladimiras Simonko, a leading Lithuanian gay rights activist, said opposition has dropped since 2010 when police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters.
Simonko praised the support from France, which is poised to adopt gay marriage law after heated debates and protests.
Same-sex relations were decriminalised in Lithuania in 1993, three years after the country declared independence from the crumbling Soviet Union, which had banned homosexuality.
Lithuania, where 77 percent of the three-million-strong population is Roman Catholic, joined the European Union in 2004.
Source: AFP
Anti-Gay Marriage Activists Continue to Protest in Paris
With gay marriage looking increasingly likely to be legalized in France, tens of thousands of people protesting against any such legislation took out a protest march.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest Lifestyle and Wellness News
The 'tight' sensation on your face after washing is explained by skin contraction in the outer layer.
The skin between the toes and behind the ears can harbor many harmful germs that can cause a variety of skin illnesses.
Prolonged sitting among office goers, pose risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancers.
Yogurt's protein and fat content demonstrated its unidentified deodorizing properties against garlic's pungent odor.
People who smoke tobacco and cannabis have an increased risk of depression and anxiety than those who use either substance alone or not at all.
