Gala dinner

#BP16

FUNDRAISING GALA DINNER

PROGRAMME

Friday 17 June 2016 Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva

ABOUT BALTIC PRIDE Baltic Pride is an annual LGBT* festival, rotating between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The first LGBT* Pride ever in the Baltic States took place in Riga, Latvia in 2005.

Subsequently is was held annually as “Riga Pride and Friendship Days”. It was only in 2009 that it got renamed to “Baltic Pride” and started rotating between the three Baltic capitals Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania), and Tallinn (Estonia). Since then the main organizers have been “Mozaīka” (Latvia), the “National LGBT Rights Organization LGL” (Lithuania), and the “Estonian LGBT Association” (Estonia).

In 2015, the parade took place as part of the EuroPride event in Riga, the first time the pan-European LGBT* rights week came to a post-Soviet state.

© Augustas Didžgalvis

The 2016 Pride in Vilnius is going to take place under the slogan “We are people, not propaganda!” It refers to the “Law on the Protection of Minors” which prohibits e.g. publicly promoting same-sex partnerships or advocating for marriage equality. From 14th until 22nd of June, events such as a Human Rights Conference, a Pride March, a Pride Voices Event, a Pride House, and an LGBT* movie festival are going to take place.

Š Augustas DidŞgalvis

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS LGL is the only organization in Lithuania exclusively representing the interests of the local LGBT* community since 1993. It is non-governmental and non-profit organisation that aims to create a respectful, open, and inclusive Lithuanian society that is free of discriminatory attitudes.

Its mission is to promote an inclusive social and legal environment for LGBT* individuals through advocacy, awareness raising and capacity building.

GREETINGS Welcome to this wonderful fundraising dinner and thank you for celebrating and showing your solidarity with the Lithuanian LGBT* community and Baltic Pride. I do not use the word “solidarity” lightly: for me it sums up our global quest for equality and respect for the rights of LGBTI+ people; for the sisters and brothers in our communities; it is that vital recognition that what happens to another should be viewed as if it is happening to us, and if it is not right or just for us to experience that, then how can it ever be right for someone else?

We only achieve together; we exist in this world side by side and, as history has shown us, if we throw away or barter away the rights of others then eventually our own rights disappear too.

I am proud to have marched with some of you and to have worked alongside and with you, and I am humbled by your bravery, your courage and your determination.

So, celebrate tonight and remember what we have all achieved, remember too what more we need to do, and above all else recognise that our successes, where we have them, have been made possible by the sacrifices of women and men across more than a thousand generations. We owe it to them, and to the generations yet to come, to achieve and defend equality. Only TOGETHER!

© Božena Miežonis

Lord Michael Cashman International LGBT* rights envoy for the British Labour Party

TONIGHT’S PROGRAMME Welcome by tonight’s Master of ceremony Paulius Ambrazevičius – Lithuanian comedian Performance by Ruslanas Kirilkinas – Lithuanian singer, winner of the “Music Academy” and Lithuanian Eurovision candidate finalist in 2016; A word by Vladimir Simonko – Executive Director of the Lithuanian National LGBT* Rights Organization; Speech by Ulrike Lunacek – Vice President of the European Parliament; Raffle with our Master of ceremony; Performance by LaDiva Live – French drag performer.

Menu Toast: glass of Bersano Castellengo Prosecco

Starter: Reindeer Carpaccio with Sweet Kumquat / Beetroot Carpaccio with Goat Cheese

Main dish: Fillet Mignon / Grilled Eggplant Rolls

Dessert: #BP16 Cherry Cake

Wine: Torres Santa Digna Savingnon Blance (Chile) / Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere (Chile) Other drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) can be purchased at the bar.

Please note that only cash payments will be accepted.

PERFORMERS Ruslanas Kirilkinas Ruslanas Kirilkinas is a well-known and openly gay Lithuanian singer, contestant of numerous music shows nationwide and abroad. He has won the “Music Academy” in 2008, a popular music show on LNK, a major commercial TV channel in Lithuania.

Ruslanas Kirilkinas won the third place in the Golden Voices 2010 music contest held in Moldova and the third place in Žvaigždžių duetai in 2011.

© Mindaugas Dulinskas

We want to thank Ruslanas Kirilkinas for his support and wonderful musical performances during the Baltic Pride gala dinner and Pride concert.

Š Stan Arte Vizion

LaDiva Live LaDiva Live is a French-Algerian performer/drag character created in Brussels 9Â years ago. Born and brought up in Algiers, she lived in Paris and London and now in Brussels, a city particularly close to her hearth.

LaDiva Live performs at many events and Pride festivals around Europe and as far as Canada. For the last 5 years, LaDiva Live has been a proud opening act of The Belgian Pride.

LaDiva Live believes that everything is possible regardless of where you were born and however difficult things might have been. And that is possible when you have the support of organisations and individuals who are examples of hope. That is why she is so proud and thankful to take part in the Baltic Pride.

Find LaDiva Live on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/ladiva.live Performance is kindly supported by the French Embassy in Vilnius.

TONIGHT’S HOST Paulius Ambrazevičius Paulius Ambrazevičius is best-known as one of the founders of the Lithuanian stand-up comedy crew “Humoro klubas”. Since 2009, he has been performing with the crew in Lithuania and abroad for Lithuanian expat communities and has done over 250 shows in both Lithuanian and English. At the moment Paulius not only performs, but also acts as the manager of the group and brings foreign comedians to perform in Lithuania.

© Rytis Šeškaitis

Paulius is also known as one of the top quiz players in Lithuania and has represented his country in 2014 European Quizzing championships. The author of two quiz books, he is also the host of a daily TV quiz show “Kas ir kodėl?” on Lithuanian National Television. Paulius is an active supporter of LGBT* rights and was one of the many who marched through Vilnius in the 2013 Pride march (actually, rode on the Soho Club float, but it still counts).

PHOTOGRAPHER Augustas Didžgalvis Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1985, Augustas Didžgalvis started his photography career in 2007 in his own business, initially as a street photographer and then as a press photographer. In 2008 he started to publish his pictures in the largest Baltic news service DELFI.

© Andrius Zigmantas

In 2009, frustrated with the traditional style of the day, Augustas began shooting sports. He is pursuing his passion for photographing international events and sports competitions with his EOS Canon 1 D DSLR. Augustas has travelled and taken pictures in more than 15 countries and has a great archive of photos, documenting the biggest events in the Baltic states over the last five years.

RAFFLE PRIZES How else to support LGBT* rights in Lithuania?

Check out our online shop at

www.lgl.lt/shop and discover all the marvelous items you can choose from to show off the pride of being an ally!

A few euros can change a lot!

A lottery will be held during the dinner and guests will have an

opportunity to win a wide variety of prizes from the LGL online shop.

Stay ready!

How to support the Baltic Pride

D O N A T e Via PayPal http://www.lgl.lt/en/?page_id=258

By bank transfer Name: Asociacija “Lietuvos gėjų lyga”, Organization code: 291902980 Account number: LT297044060001190251 Bank code: 70440 SWIFT/BIC: CBVI LT 2X

Follow us Facebook: www.facebook.com/lgl.lt Twitter: @Baltic_Pride, @ LGLLithuania Instagram: www.instagram.com/lgl.lt/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LithuanianGayLeague Website: www.lgl.lt