Lithuania parliament votes against debating same-sex partnership bill

Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday voted narrowly against debating a bill legalising same-sex civil partnerships, but supporters said they would adjust the proposal and eventually resubmit it to the assembly. In a razor-thin vote, 63 lawmakers voted in favour and 65 against accepting the measure for discussion, with some opponents declaring same-sex partnerships to be a gateway to same-sex marriage, a status they reject. A representative poll in April commissioned by the president’s office found 70% of adult Lithuanians against same-sex partnerships. “The vote illustrates that ensuring human rights is a long-term process which needs much more work”, Tomas Raskevicius, an openly gay member of parliament who sponsored the bill, told Reuters.