The Sexual Intolerance in Lithuania
K.R. Essay
The Sexual Intolerance in Lithuania
The gays’ procession in Vilnius on the 8th of May was the most discussed event which received many responses not only from the EU institutions, our government, but also from other high rank politicians and the mass media in many countries. The strong will to forbid such unprecedented an action in Lithuania of President Dalia Grybauskaite and other politicians as well as our compatriots , showed that being a member of the European union, which is based on the fundamental Human rights and freedom, our country still is homophobic in many ways. In this essay, I am going to reveal this phenomenon and try to explain the main reasons, why the reaction of our society is so sharp and aggressive towards the sexual minority’s groups, looking from religious, historical and cultural prospects.
Firs of all, before starting to discuss this topic, it is very important to understand such terms as ‘a sexual minority ‘ and ‘homophobia ’ properly, because they are often misinterpreted. According to Wikipedia, a sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. It consists of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT). While homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual were coined during the latter half of the 19th Century, it was Sigmund Freud who popularized their usage. Freud, now considered the father of modern psychology, believed humans to be naturally bisexual. Morin and Garfinkle (1978) in the book “Homophobia: Conceptual, Definitional, and Value Issues,” characterized the homophobic as an individual who does not value a homosexual lifestyle equally with a heterosexual lifestyle. “‘Homophobia’ has become popular as a descriptor of a wide range of negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviors toward homosexual people.” (Haaga, “Homophobia”)
The Sexual Intolerance in Lithuania
The gays’ procession in Vilnius on the 8th of May was the most discussed event which received many responses not only from the EU institutions, our government, but also from other high rank politicians and the mass media in many countries. The strong will to forbid such unprecedented an action in Lithuania of President Dalia Grybauskaite and other politicians as well as our compatriots , showed that being a member of the European union, which is based on the fundamental Human rights and freedom, our country still is homophobic in many ways. In this essay, I am going to reveal this phenomenon and try to explain the main reasons, why the reaction of our society is so sharp and aggressive towards the sexual minority’s groups, looking from religious, historical and cultural prospects.
Firs of all, before starting to discuss this topic, it is very important to understand such terms as ‘a sexual minority ‘ and ‘homophobia ’ properly, because they are often misinterpreted. According to Wikipedia, a sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. It consists of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT). While homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual were coined during the latter half of the 19th Century, it was Sigmund Freud who popularized their usage. Freud, now considered the father of modern psychology, believed humans to be naturally bisexual. Morin and Garfinkle (1978) in the book “Homophobia: Conceptual, Definitional, and Value Issues,” characterized the homophobic as an individual who does not value a homosexual lifestyle equally with a heterosexual lifestyle. “‘Homophobia’ has become popular as a descriptor of a wide range of negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviors toward homosexual people.” (Haaga, “Homophobia”)