Statement from Ambassadors to Lithuania for the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) 2023
On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17, we stand together to reaffirm our commitment to the human rights and dignity of all individuals, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex persons. We express our solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and believe that every individual – in our own countries, in Lithuania, and beyond – has the right to live with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and violence. A right that unfortunately is not always secure.
We applaud those in Lithuania, the European Union and beyond who have worked tirelessly in pursuit of a society that reflects the democratic values we share – where human rights are universal, diversity is celebrated and embraced, and every individual is able to live and love with dignity and respect.
We recognize that despite the hard work of people and organizations committed to achieving equal rights for all people, the LGBTQI+ community in Lithuania, as in our own and many other countries continues to face significant barriers to full inclusion and acceptance in society. We support efforts to ensure that LGBTQI+ individuals have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, including access to appropriate and affirming healthcare, education, employment, property rights, and housing. We believe families are defined by love and come in many different forms, yet all deserve universal protections under the law. While fully respecting the democratic process in the Seimas, we look forward to the passage of legislation that will establish civil unions.
We look forward to Baltic Pride 2023 in Tallinn and the Vilnius Pride event planned for July. We sincerely appreciate all those working to ensure equal rights for LGBTQI+ persons and families in Lithuania and beyond.
Alana Hudson, Ambassador of New Zealand
Alix Everard, Ambassador of France
Arja Makkonen, Ambassador of Finland
Brian Olley, Ambassador of the United Kingdom
Diego Ungaro, Ambassador of Italy
Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, Ambassador of Israel
Hans Brask, Ambassador of Denmark
Harald Aspelund, Ambassador of Iceland
Inger Buxton, Ambassador of Sweden
Kai Kaarelson, Ambassador of Estonia
Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Lloyd Brodrick, Ambassador of Australia
Maria Nieves Blanco Diaz, Ambassador of Spain
Matthias Sonn, Ambassador of Germany
Ole T. Horpestad, Ambassador of Norway
Paul Schmit, Ambassador of Luxembourg
Richard Martin-Nielsen, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of Canada
Robert S. Gilchrist, Ambassador of the United States
Rik Van Droogenbroeck, Ambassador of Belgium
Séadhna Mac Hugh, Ambassador of Ireland
Thomas Castrel, General Representative of Flanders
Yvonne Toncic-Sorinj, Ambassador of Austria
