Lithuania's new civil union bill imperfect but acceptable - human rights activists

• Published date: 17 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

Lithuania's proposed bill on gender-neutral civil unions has a lot of shortcomings, but it is a step toward filling the current legal vacuum that discriminates against same-sex partners, Monika Antanaityte of the LGBTQ rights organization LGL said on Tuesday.

The activist described the draft Law on Civil Union, which has been recently registered in the Lithuanian parliament, as a "minimum standard".

"Does it reflect the social reality that currently exists and [...] the needs of different families in their entirety? It certainly does not," Antanaityte said at a news conference held by the Coalition of Human Rights Organizations.

"However, the law at least sets a minimum standard, and a minimum standard is better than no standard at all, better than a complete legal vacuum," she said. "Therefore, it would be cynical on the part of the opposition not to support this bill."

According to the activist, the main shortcomings of the bill are that it would not allow partners in a civil union to change their surname and that such a union would be registered with a notary rather than with civil registry offices.

"This also implies a certain attitude towards this institution and the importance of the relations it regulates," Antanaityte said.

"On the other hand, from a legal technical point of view, this is a more orderly document that also hints at the regulation of family property, which would help resolve some issues related to obligations to creditors and would provide greater protection of property," she added.

Jurate Juskaite, director of the Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights, described the civil union bill as "a starting point" that establishes partners' rights such as inheritance and information on health status.

However, the bill "law lacks some things", according to Juskaite.

"The first thing that catches the eye is that the law does not talk about children living in same-sex families," she said. "It does not address or regulate in any way the issue that...