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<p>The European Parliament's Intergroup on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights welcomed the election of the institution's new president by urging him to condemn the adoption of a homophobic law in Lithuania.</p>

<p> Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuanian president will have to sign the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information adopted by the parliament in the second attempt and which was vetoed by previous president Valdas Adamkus. </p>

<p>We would like to inform you that President’s veto on The Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information was rejected by Seimas of Lithuanian Republic on 14 July, 2009. </p>

<p>The Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) voted today to adopt the controversial “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information”. The law was initially approved by the Seimas on 16 June but was vetoed by the Lithuanian President on 26 June. With a majority of the 140 Seimas representatives required to overcome the Presidential veto, 87 parliamentarians voted in favour. 25 parliamentarians abstained and only six voted against the law. The law will enter into force on 1 March 2010. </p>

<p>The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, adopted the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information. The law bans any positive information about homosexuality and bisexuality. It equates homosexuality and bisexuality to other ‘detrimental effect on minors’ such as display of dead or cruelly mutilated body, information that causes fear or horror or encourages suicide. </p>

<p>On 14 July, the Lithuanian parliament will vote whether to overturn a Presidential veto on a law that will institutionalize homophobia, violating the right to freedom of expression and the right to be free from discrimination.</p>

<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">On 26 June 2009, Valdas Adamkus, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, vetoed a law adopted by the Lithuanian parliament on 16 June 2009 and which banned 'propaganda of homosexuality and bisexuality'.</p>

<p>Members of the European Parliament's Intergroup on gay and lesbian rights will join today other people and NGOs in a demonstration outside the Lithuanian permanent representation in Brussels to protest against new homophobic and oppressive law in Lithuania. </p>

<p class="MsoNormal">On 16 June 2009, the <i>Seimas</i>, Lithuanian parliament, in a final reading and with a great majority (67 votes for, 3 against and 4 abstained) adopted an amended Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information. According to this law, ‘propaganda of homosexuality and bisexuality’ is one of the detrimental affects on the minors and information on homosexuality and bisexuality is banned from schools and any other places where it can be accessed by youth. </p>

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