Painful experiences cause many emotional difficulties
Although tolerance is supposed be the most important value in today’s world, the examples we see in our society prove the continuing lack of understanding and openness to diversity and people’s different choices. This poses a number of challenges for some individuals. As Eglė Kuktoraitė, Communications Manager of the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) has noted, it is the young LGBT community who struggle much more than their peers.
“Being unable to express themselves even in their closest and educational environments prevents them from living an authentic life. Many young people hesitate to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity due to fear of discrimination stemming from intolerance that still prevails in society,” she said.
Kuktoraitė pointed out that such a situation is the most emotionally challenging experience for a young person.
“By forbidding themselves to be authentic, young people condemn themselves to serious emotional health challenges, not to mention other growing-up challenges such as accepting their bodies, grippling with existential questions, and seeking belonging within peer groups. It’s no wonder many young individuals are eager to become adults and build their futures in more LGBT-friendly countries,” explains LGL’s Head of Communications.
Experiencing discrimination both at work and at school
According to Kuktoraitė, young people belonging to the LGBT community still encounter problems of loneliness, self-acceptance, and parental rejection, in addition to the bullying they face at school.
“Young LGBT individuals are subjected to bullying at school, and these bullies are not only their peers but also teachers. LGBT issues are disregarded in schools, leaving young LGBT individuals feeling invisible and somewhat “erased”, pressured to conform to certain standards,” says Kuktoraitė.
Unfortunately, the challenges with graduating from school do not end there, as other environments may also be hostile to certain individuals’ choices.
“LGBT individuals also encounter discrimination in the workplace. Some are compelled to change several jobs before finding a safe workplace where they are accepted for who they are – competent professionals in their field,” explains Kuktoraitė.
LGBT community members constantly face bullying, mean comments, and even hostility, leaving them to often feel discriminated against and alienated.
“LGBT people experience discrimination at school, university, and work, often being treated less favourably than their peers or colleagues. They feel excluded from the group, unable to be themselves in their school or work community. Cases of discrimination are often left unreported due to fear of secondary victimisation,” says Kuktoraitė.
It’s time for politicians to get to work
The lack of tolerance towards LGBT people remains a prevailing problem. Furthermore, as Kuktoraitė noted, the level of tolerance varies significantly among different Lithuanian cities.
“The situation in Vilnius and other major Lithuanian cities differs dramatically. Due to the prevailing hostility towards the LGBT community, there is an internal migration of LGBT people to Vilnius, where they find their community and lead active social lives,” she said.
According to Kuktoraitė, although the public perception of LGBT people is becoming increasingly positive, with more and more individuals participating in LGBT community marches, statistics do not show any significant increase in acceptance of the LGBT community. Kuktoraitė believes that change can only occur when society becomes more open and politicians actively engage in necessary processes.
“The situation could change if politicians demonstrate the political will to make decisions that are important to the LGBT community, such as supporting marriage equality. The public debate on the draft Civil Union Law was not productive, further mobilising anti-LGBT groups. The LGBT community has already expressed its needs and arguments on numerous occasions, and now it is time for politicians to take action,” emphasizes Kuktoraitė.
She noted that the current problems simply do not receive enough attention.
“In Lithuania, the issues experienced by LGBT people are essentially ignored, despite the false impression one might get from observing the public discourse, which constantly exacerbates these issues in a negative context,” points out the LGL Communications Manager, outlining the real situation.
“The reality is that since 2004, when Lithuania joined the European Union, not a single law has been adopted that could significantly improve the situation of the LGBT community. Despite the European Court of Human Rights’ rulings against Lithuania, hate speech against LGBT people remains widespread, and transgender individuals remain the most vulnerable and unprotected group within the LGBT community,” said Kuktoraitė.
Everyone can make a difference
While it is up to politicians to enact meaningful changes to ensure the freedoms and rights of the LGBT community, everyone can make a contribution to improving the lives of its members. Kuktoraitė outlines the steps we could take.
“We should learn to accept and adhere to the principles of equality for all citizens as defined in the Constitution. Every person in Lithuania must be equal in dignity, with the opportunity to marry, adopt, pursue education, work without discrimination, and access necessary services. The majority of society cannot decide to deny equal rights to a minority because they believe it is “less deserving”. Everyone’s rights are equally important. When the majority understands that equal rights for LGBT people do not diminish their ability to exercise their rights, we will see great social progress,” hopes LGL’s Communications Manager.
As long as our society lacks awareness and tolerance, members of the LGBT community will continue to face serious emotional difficulties. To help them overcome these challenges more easily, they also need the right support and assistance, which is provided by LGL itself.