Yoomi Renström

21 June 2016

Yoomi Renström:  “Lithuanian constitutional amendment proposal to ban same-sex couples from the concept of family life is a step back from Europe’s promise to protect the rights of LGBT people”

Congress rapporteur for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT), Yoomi RENSTRÖM (Sweden), condemned the vote taken in June in the Lithuanian Parliament in favour of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex couples from the constitutional concept of family life.  “This proposal goes against Europe’s progress towards an open and modern society and to our understanding that the rights of individual citizens and equality before the law should prevail against an unqualified defence of old traditional values.  A family constellation today can be imagined in many different ways, regardless of what people think is right or wrong, and a constitution that defines a family in a narrow way will put the children in other kinds of families at risk. This is not in line with the protection of children’s rights” she underlined.

Ms Renström’s report on “Guaranteeing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people’s rights: a responsibility for Europe’s towns and regions”, which was adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 25 March 2015, makes policy recommendations to member States to develop a culture of human rights, to provide effective human rights protection and to ensure the delivery of discrimination-free policies and services. It also recommends member States to ensure that legislation fully respects LGBT people’s human rights.

Inviting the Lithuanian authorities to reconsider the amendment proposal before it is definitively adopted following a second vote, Ms Renström concluded that after all the progress made in promoting the rights of LGBT people, it was worrying to see a member State of the Council of Europe such as Lithuania backtracking on hard won progress. 

“Guaranteeing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people’s rights: a responsibility for Europe’s towns and regions” : Resolution 380 (2015) , Recommendation 370 (2015) , Explanatory memorandum

Website of the Lithuanian Gay League