An advertisement produced by LGBT rights organization LGL and featuring gay, lesbian, and allied couples will not be aired on Lithuanian television according to broadcasters. The ad depicts several couples living their day-to-day existence, seemingly happy; at the end, though, statistics paint a different picture of the LGBT experience in Lithuania. "61% LGBT persons in Lithuania feel discriminated against," it states, and still citizens are barred from viewing the video. The broadcasters, for their part, claim there is good reason behind the refusal to air LGL's ad.
Human Rights Campaign reports:
While the video itself does not contain anything provocative, commercial broadcasters fear that it may be in violation of the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information. This law forbids information “which expresses contempt for family values, encourages the concept of entry into a marriage and creation of a family other than stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania.”
In an interview with Delfi, television representatives said the video raised some red flags because it spoke about various family models that differ from what is traditionally accepted. The video will now be reviewed by the Inspector of Journalist Ethics, though that could be a lengthy process.
The legislation in question sounds eerily similar to Russia's own anti-gay propaganda laws; we can only hope that the advertisement passes its review and that Lithuanians of all ages can see the positive message is represents. The likeliehood of approval is slim, however. Just last year an ad for Baltic Pride depicting a man whose shirt said, "For Family Diversity," was slapped with a mature rating and aired only after 11pm.
Check out the sweet ad, AFTER THE JUMP…
