Recently, a Lithuanian anti-gay law passed with a second round vote of 87-6 to override former President Valdas Adamkus’ veto.  During Parliamentary voting, mass protests were held outside of government buildings, some of which were organized by GFW grantee partner New Generation of Women’s Initiatives (ngoWI) , a group that focuses on LGBTIQ as well as straight women’s gender-identity issues. 

The new law bans public materials that are deemed to be detrimental to the mental health of minors, and anything dealing with homosexuality or bisexuality is listed as one of the 19 categories of banned materials.  Through correspondences with grantee partner ngoWI, the GFW team has learned that the new president of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, who was elected on July 12, is speaking out against the law and has emphasized that it is very shameful and it negates human rights.  Grybauskaite has promised that she will do everything she can do within the realm of her constitutional rights to overturn the law.