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<p>The second day of ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conferences started with news that during the night from Wednesday to Thursday there was a smoke bomb at club Soho which is situated next to the conference venue and where many conference participants visited that night. </p>

<p class="MsoNormal">This event was widely reported by the Lithuanian and international media and it was misleadingly linked to our conference. While this was indeed a very unpleasant and potentially harmful incident, it appears it has no direct link to our conference and the participants were not targeted. We learned that very similar incidents took place at this club twice prior to the conference and although we do not know exactly the reasons, most locals and the delegates believe the smoke bomb is not linked to our conference.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately this news travelled fast and in many countries there were alarm bells ringing that the conference participants are in danger and that we even had to relocate the conference venue. We have to reassure all readers, that every single person at our conference is well and safe and there is no relocation or any adjustments to plans or indeed needs. We feel sorry that the sensationalism element was switched on by some media and just want to reassure you all that everything is fine here in Vilnius. The Lithuanian organisers have been in touch with the police prior to the conference and the police are aware of our presence here and regularly patrol the area around the conference venue. We also have two security guards at the hotel entrance who are ensuring that only the delegates enter the hotel. We felt the need to include such a lengthy introduction because we received many calls of concerns. </p><p class="MsoNormal">While the participants were brainstorming and conducting discussions at the morning workshops, 9 protesters gathered outside the conference venue. These people were protesting against our conference as they believed it was “propaganda of homosexuality”. These people were holding such banners as “Go Home” and “Lithuania will be no-gay zone”. Some protesters were wearing t-shirts with a slogan “No to propaganda of <i>homosexualism</i>”. While on the streets they were also asking passers by to sign a petition calling on the Lithuanian parliament to ban “homosexual propaganda”. The protesters were reasonably peaceful and many of them engaged in conversations with the security guards and even the conference participants. During the coffee break some conference participants equipped with smiles took their organisation’s banners and small rainbow flags and peacefully stood opposite the protesters. There was no confrontation, all were smiling and fascinated by the need of those 9 people to come to protest against the conference. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The police van was present during this protest and they were ensuring that there were no confrontations or any other attempts to disturb the order. The police were also using video camera to monitor the protesters. Some delegates were wondering how come that the Rainbow Flag public event was banned, but those 9 people were allowed to come and protest outside the hotel. We quickly learned that according to Lithuanian laws on demonstrations there is no need for official permission if there are up to 9 people organising a public event and this made it clear to all of us why there were exactly 9 protesters.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When talking to the protesters we also learned that they were from the evangelical church New Generation whose centre is based in neighboring Latvia and which was behind huge homophobic hysteria for the last few years in Latvia. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The following workshops took place during the morning session:</p>
<ul>

<li>Finances of ILGA-Europe</li>

<li>Developing advocacy strategies</li>

<li>Using the newly acquired ECOSOC status to advance LGBT rights at the UN.</li>

</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">After being ‘entertained’ by the 9 protesters during the coffee break, the participants assembled to the second conference panel with the title “Supporting LGBT Rights Nationally and Internationally: How Governments, Equality Bodies and Ombuds Offices cam implement international and national commitments that support the human rights of LGBT people”. During this panel we had following keynote speakers.</p>
<ul>

<li><b>Ben Baks</b>, Dutch Government LGBT Programme;</li>

<li><b>Xavier Verdaguer i Ribe, </b>Catalan Programme on LGBT equality;</li>

<li><b>Laima Vengale</b>, Advisor, Office of the Lithuanian Equal Opportunities;</li>

<li><b>Hans Ytterberg</b>, The Ombudsman against Discrimination on grounds of Sexual Orientation, Sweden;</li>

</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ben Baks provided an overview of the Dutch government’s commitment to LGBT equality and delivered very good news for ILGA-Europe: the Dutch government will provide financial support during the next three years towards a pan-European project on tackling hate crime. Xavier Verdaguer i Ribe explained what and how the Catalan government is doing to enhance rights of LGBT people and highlighted the work they are doing specifically with cities and other medium and smaller size towns. Laima Vengale explained the structure of the Lithuanian Office for Equal Opportunities and stressed that the Office is open and willing to receive complaints and cases from LGBT people and support legal cases. Currently there are very little cases from LGBT people and wider awareness campaign in needed to target LGBT people. Hans Ytterberg introduced his institution which is still relatively unique in Europe and the world and provided example how his institution helps LGBT to address the cases of discrimination. </p><p class="MsoNormal">We then had the European launch of the Yogyakarta Principles. Professor Michael O’ Flaherty, Rapporteur of Yogyakarta Principles Expert, United Nations, introduced this milestone document in greater details and encouraged everyone to use the document in advocacy with their governments on LGBT human rights.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Some presentations are available in the very end of this page.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon the participants continued their work in following workshops:</p>
<ul>

<li>Using the Yogyakarta Principles;</li>

<li>Using video in monitoring LGBT human rights abuses</li>

<li>Conference proposals</li>

<li>Reconciling sexuality and spirituality</li>

</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">This year the number of workshops has been slightly reduced to ensure the delegates have more opportunities to have more self-organised groups. On Thursday seven self-organised groups initiated by the delegates took place:</p>
<ul>

<li>ILGA-Europe’s Human Rights Violations Documentation Fund</li>

<li>LGBT issues in education</li>

<li>Issues of elderly LGBT people planning for Copenhagen Conference 2009</li>

<li>Green Caucus – creating LGBT working group in the European Green Party (EGP)</li>

<li>Rainbow Rose – Social Democratic Socialists Caucus </li>

<li>Homosexuality, Ethnicity, Religion - European Forum of Christian LGBT groups and Ombud of Norway – brainstorming, ideas and experience on interreligious dialogue.</li>

</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Friday we also received two supporting <a href="http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/news/ken_livingstone_mayor_of_london_supports_our_conference" target="_self">messages from Ken Livingstone</a>, Mayor of London, and <a href="http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/news/amnesty_international_dismayed_by_mayor_s_decision_to_ban_gay_rally" target="_self">Amnesty International</a>. We sincerely thank them for their continuing support! </p>

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