Meilė Yra Visiems: The Evolution of Baltic Pride in Lithuania

Baltic Pride started in 2010 with tremendous political and public opposition but is now a vibrant celebration and protest for the LGBTQ+ community in Lithuania. This project explores the evolution of Baltic Pride, one of Lithuania’s most important LGBTQ+ advocacy events, from 2010 to 2019. Scholars studying Pride in Eastern Europe find a variety of political and social factors—from European Union association to nationalism—affect Pride’s successful dissemination of rights. This project adds to this body of work by examining these factors over nine years and four Baltic Pride events in Lithuania. Examination of the European International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association’s (ILGA) annual review, images from each year of Baltic Pride in Lithuania, and local news articles covering the events provide data to illustrate Pride in the social and political context of Lithuania. This project uses content analysis and thematic coding of ILGA Europe’s annual review, news articles, and images of each Baltic Pride to determine and then compare themes in each data source from 2010 to 2019. Exploration of Baltic Pride’s evolution reveals legal rights and social tolerance did not grow in parallel to this flourishing LGBTQ+ advocacy event. While Pride became increasingly popular, LGBTQ+ rights stalled in Lithuania’s legislature, and conservative factions continued widespread moral opposition of the Western LGBTQ+ rights framework. Overall, this research demonstrates the existence of a robust Pride event and LGBTQ+ advocacy movement did not indicate the overall LGBTQ+ rights situation in Lithuania.