Metinė prenumerata tik 6,99 Eur. Juodai geras pasiūlymas
Išbandyti
2013 06 26

Lithuanian Parliamentary Speaker thinks his colleagues too hasty in turning to EU institutions over discriminatory bills

Lithuanian Parliamentary Speaker Vydas Gedvilas says that the parliament's move to turn to the European Union (EU) institutions over pending bills that could restrict LGBT rights was too hasty.
Paryžiaus gatvėmis žygiavo homoseksualų santuokų rėmėjai
LGBT rally / Scanpix nuotr.
Temos: 1 LGBT+

In comment of the address made by a group of parliamentarians, Gedvilas of the ruling Labor Party told the Žinių Radijas news radio on Wednesday morning that the bills were just in their initial phase.

"They have only been approved for discussion, the discussions and adoption haven't been started and we have already turned to (European Parliament President) Martin Schulz. It's just ridiculous," Gedvilas said.

"It seems to me that we should solve our own problems ourselves rather than ask someone to come rescue us," Gedvilas said.

He dismissed the bills as illogical, expressing doubt whether they would secure a sufficient number of votes in parliament.

In mid-June, a group of parliamentarians turned to EU institutions asking for a position statement regarding several bills discussed at the Lithuanian Seimas that might be discriminatory against sexual minorities.

The bills include proposals to ban "violation of constitutional moral values" and state that "every child has the inborn right to a father and a mother, arising from gender differences and mutual complementarity of motherhood and fatherhood" and this way prevent adoption by homosexual people.

The letter to EP President Martin Schulz, the EP Human Rights Committee, the EP Intergroup on LGBT Rights, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and Lithuanian MEPs was signed by 11 Seimas members representing three political groups.

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