Around 10,000 people from across the Eastern European region attended an LGBTQ Pride event in Lithuania over the weekend, many of them hopeful for their future.
Surrounded by thousands of people wearing rainbow flags, glitter and sparkly outfits, Eddie Balčiūnaitė prepared to take part in one of the biggest marches the Baltic countries have ever seen.
The 21-year-old non-binary Lithuanian grew up in a country that since 2009 has banned sharing information that «expresses contempt for family values (or) encourages … entry into a marriage and creation of a family other than stipulated in the Constitution». Dubbed the «gay propaganda» law by its critics, the ban even preceded Russia’s 2013 infamous legislation, NBC News reports.
«The first time I heard about queer people was in the church, so it wasn’t a very positive portrayal, as you can imagine», Balčiūnaitė, who uses he/she/they pronouns, told NBC News. «You Google stuff, you talk to your friends, and hopefully you learn something about yourself — but not with the help of the school or your teacher»
According to NBC News, around 10,000 people, mostly young adults, flocked to the capital, Vilnius, from across Lithuania — a country of 2.8 million and the biggest Baltic country — and its neighbours Latvia and Estonia to join the annual Baltic Pride march Saturday.
