Travelling down the Baltic states, your heroine at first doubted whether or not she should make a stop in Vilnius at all. Lithuania is well known – or rather notorious - for its deeply homophobic, conservative and backward Catholic population and Suzy Size therefore was certain, she would not find the smallest trace of a Lithuanian prince charming (a primal fear that came true). Consulting her personal Gay Bible (Sticky Rice Gay Guide Asia and Gay Guide World this naturally is) Suzy only found two gay bars at all and they only open on Fridays and Saturdays whereas your hapless heroine arrived on a Monday. But on the other hand, Vilnius is famous for its beauty. The old part of town is labelled the largest in all of Eastern Europe, including fantastic Prague, and for 2009 Vilnius was chosen to act as European Capital of Culture. So Suzy took up this homosexual hardship posting in Vilnius for the noble cause of the Gay World Friendship Tour, even though it really is deeply infested by those archconservative Catholics.
When the Russians left in 1991 most of the many beautiful (but then rundown) churches in Vilnius were handed over to the Jesuits who took them into their iron grip and since have left their marks on buildings and people. When Suzy looked into some of the splendid houses of God (many just freshly renovated for that European Capital of Culture thing), she shuddered when she noticed those somber church services under way. There was no joy, but grim and fundamentalist priests were once again indoctrinating simple minded folks, put all kinds of devilish fears into their hearts and heads.
Suzy, watching those strange Church rites, remembered what she just had read on the internet: “Negative attitudes against gay and lesbian men and women remain entrenched. A European Union member poll, conducted in 2006, showed Lithuania at 17% support for gay marriage and 12% for rights of adoption. A poll conducted in 2009 showed that only 16% of Lithuanians would approve of a gay pride march in the capital Vilnius and 81.5% of respondents considered homosexuality as a perversion, disease or paraphilia.
Suzy walked the streets of beautiful Vilnius and came by all those many places of devotion. For instance that shrine for Mary where the devout believers were praying in deep concentration. About a month before her visit in that backward, almost medieval country the parliament had passed a very strange law:
“Lithuania's Parliament approved a censorship bill that aims to keep information about homosexuality away from children, angering gay rights activists who called the measure homophobic.
Vowing to defend family values in the predominantly Catholic nation, lawmakers overturned a presidential veto on the legislation, which bans publicly disseminating material deemed harmful to the mental health and "intellectual or moral development" of minors.
The measure lists 19 examples of "detrimental" information, including material that "agitates for homosexual, bisexual, and polygamous relations," instructions on how to make explosives and graphic depictions of violence or death.
It also bars information that gives credence to paranormal phenomena, hypnosis or "promotes bad eating."
While critics said the text violated the freedom of speech and international standards of human rights, others said the vague wording would make it difficult to enforce.
The text does not define "public information" in detail, though it makes references to TV programs, films, computer games and advertising as well as online and print media accessible by children.
Lithuania's former president rejected the bill before he left office, but lawmakers voted 87-6 on Tuesday to override his veto. “
So be not deceived, gay sex tourist to Lithuania, when you see a seemingly interesting sign in the streets of Vilnius which promises XXX: Maxima. This is definitely not, what you hope for….
XXX: Maxima is a Lithuanian super market.
Suzy Size will proceed to ugly Warsaw next, but will not report at length from there, but from Dresden. Read in one week exclusively on Sticky Rice Gay Guide Asia and Gay Guide World about that very important and absolutely necessary trip to Russia and the Baltic states and Dresden which is naturally part of the never ending Gay World Friendship Tour.
Suzy Size likes her tours all over the world so much, she now plans to go on an eternal World Friendship Tour for Sticky Rice Gay Guide Asia and Gay Guide World. Well, eternal is a long time – contrary to short time – and our heroine needs some funds for this unique venture, the boys are costly, you know. Support your heroine and pay on-line with your credit card. Any amount of 20 US $ and above welcome. If you commit 100 US $ or above you will get a dinner invitation at Castelgandolfo, the Suzy Size residence slightly outside Pattaya and an interesting plant. It feels so good to do good!
Suzy Size thanks thee an awful lot and is mighty proud of you.
