U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Dalia Grybauskaitė fronted the OSCE conference in Vilnius this week.

By Mark Kurosky
mark.kurosky@gmail.com

This week The Republic of Lietuva has demonstrated its prestige and accomplishment being a contemporary world player and a voice for democracy taking center stage hosting the OCSE Ministerial Conference and the ESCO "Making Women's Voices Heard" convocation.  Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, must be offered kudos for assuming a leadership helm in both of these world conferences.  Witnessing President, Dalia Grybauskaite, partner with and stand side by side US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, a woman undeniably known as the spouse of one of the most powerful men in the world in contemporary history, can only be a source of tremendous pride for Lithuanians worldwide.

During an address at the "Making Women's Voices Heard" event, and as quoted on the Lithuanian Presidential website, President Dalia Grybauskaite stated, "Any discrimination impairs the well-being of our societies. Gender gaps, glass ceilings and brick walls - an environment you navigate daily. Only through personal example and greater visibility we can attract everybody's attention to this problem and encourage combating it."  

The Lithuanian President further "urged participants of the discussion to be good examples in the fight against gender inequality by assuming more responsibility in decision making, showing personal initiative, efforts, and persistence. She underlined that only public and vocal messages about gender equality issues could encourage women to be more determined in the struggle for their rights".  The President praised Lithuania's efforts in the protection of women's rights and claimed Lithuania's example of such "good practice".

In stark contrast to the foregoing, and under the witness of the world's center stage spot light, one must then ask how President, Dalia Grybauskaite, the members of the Lietuva Seimas, and the contemporary, educated Lithuanian society at large, can not only tolerate, but actively promote openly stated discrimination toward gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered members of Lithuanian society.

A looming white elephant in the Lithuanian living room
It seems Lithuania's human rights agenda is both conditional and selective.  How ironic that President, Dalia Grybauskaite, takes a valiant position on one cause and yet ignores another as a looming white elephant in the Lithuanian living room.  In the greater scheme of things, is this not even hypocritical?  Yet, perhaps one cause only deflects the denied importance of another.  For anyone aware of the bigger picture of the state of affairs in contemporary Lietuva this is only a conundrum.  Although gender equality in itself is valid, in the wider scope of the premises of basic human values of the European Union, discrimination based on sexual preference or sexual identity is no less than intolerable.  Intolerable.  Within due time, and not soon enough, these affairs in Lithuania will be challenged by the governing bodies of the European Union.

And, with Lietuva in this week's world view as host to two high level conferences, and on the very day of her departure from Vilnius and arrival in Geneva, Switzerland, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, presented a landmark speech stating, "The US has publicly declared it will fight discrimination against gays and lesbians abroad by using foreign aid and diplomacy to encourage reform".

The irony of such a proclamation on the day of Hillary Clinton's departure from Lietuva can surely be no mistake.  Perhaps Lietuva should well hear this bell tolling loudly for her in Vilnius, in the Presidential Palace, and in The Seimas.  For Hillary Clinton to make such an unapologetic statement for this "other arena of human rights" at just such an optimal moment, and to covertly imply this as a personal message to Lietuva, could not have been have been any more profound than had Hillary Clinton made this speech prior to departing Lietuva.  Such a statement posed by Hillary Clinton inside Lietuva would have been a personal affront and smear to President Grybauskaite, and, obviously, Hillary Clinton thinks highly enough of the Lithuanian President to shield her from such pubic world disgrace.  But disgrace is still disgrace whether it be addressed at afar from Geneva or from the floor of the LitExpo or The Seimas.  

Lietuva's official governmental position on "selective human rights", and its mentality of discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity may be embedded in contemporary Lietuva's longstanding tradition of Catholicism.  However, one can only wonder, were these common tenets upheld throughout Lietuva's long history as Europe's longstanding pagans?  Perhaps this is unlikely.  In indigenous North American cultures such as the Native Americans, homosexuals and cross-gender individuals are revered as shamans, healers, or seers.  I don't know about the pagan Lithuanians.  However, I do know, these are simply no longer contemporary world values for any evolving society irrespective of history or religion.  This is such a shame for Lietuva, for its democracy, and for its citizens.  Lietuva aspires to be so much and to play such important roles in contemporary society as we have witnessed this week.  Yet, Lietuva fails so miserably in basic human protections and human rights for all citizens.  Shame, shame, shame on my beloved Lietuva.          

Mark Kurosky
Prescott, Arizona, USA
mark.kurosky@gmail.com

Mark Kurosky
I am a 54 year old, gay male, a  Lithuanian American, second generation born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1957, and I now reside in Prescott, Arizona.  My grandparents immigrated from Lietuva in 1910, from Kacergine and from Miroslavas.  I grew up immersed in Lithuanian culture, I am fluent in the language, have traveled Lietuva, and have family still within the country.  My dream is to return to reside, work and thrive in Lietuva, however, for me most personally as a gay man, I feel that the atmosphere there would be unsafe, inhospitable, and uncomfortable.  And I find this to be a shame as I would love nothing more than to go home to my beloved motherland.