From ban to protection: sexual orientation discrimination prohibited in ads

Lithuanian Parliament responded to the call of LGL and other human rights groups to ensure that public information serves to enhance equality, tolerance and respect for human rights for all, including LGBT people and to scrap the discriminatory provision banning any manifestation of sexual orientation in TV and radio ads.

The amended Article 39 of the Law on Provision of Information now states that advertising and audiovisual commercial communication must not prejudice respect for human dignity, discrimination or fostering of discrimination on grounds of race, sex, sexual orientation or ethnic origin, nationality, citizenship, religion or faith, disability, and age, neither must itbe offensive to religious or political beliefs, encourage behaviour prejudicial to health and safety, or behaviour largely detrimental to environmental protection.

During the heated debate at the plenary session of June 16 alternative amendments proposed by Petras Grazulis, Order and Justice MP who argued for not including in the law the prohibition to discriminate because of sexual orientation, were rejected.