Today the European Parliament adopted a resolution (1) criticising legislation in Lithuania that – from March 2010 – will ban the discussion of homosexuality in schools and any reference to homosexuality in public information that can be viewed by children.

UK Green MEP Jean Lambert, one of the co-signatories to the resolution and a member of the European Parliament's intergroup on LGBT rights, commented:

"The Greens are satisfied that the European Parliament has sent a clear message to the Lithuanian government that homophobia has no place in the European Union, not in its society and certainly not enshrined in any of its legislation. This law contravenes the EU Treaties, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, and should be urgently repealed on these grounds.

“It is particularly alarming that the Lithuanian parliament succeeded in passing homophobic legislation under the pretence of child protection, when it is clearly in the best interests of young people to have as much information as possible on these issues. Open discussion among young people is the best way to tackle discriminatory attitudes and the high suicide rates of young people who come out as gay or lesbian."

Notes to editors
(1) 349 votes in favour, 218 against, 46 abstentions

Jean Lambert is one of eight MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament. In October 2005 Jean was named MEP of the year for her work on Justice and Human Rights. Jean was first elected Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London in the 1999 European elections and was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.

Courtesy of the Green Party