by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
Fifty members of Lithuania's Parliament have petitioned the Prosecution Office to stop the Vilnius city government from permitting a gay pride parade in May.
The MPs say the parade would violate the new "Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information."
The law, which took effect March 1, bans information that promotes sexual relationships, "denigrates family values" or encourages a non-heterosexual concept of marriage and family. Such information is prohibited wherever it could be accessed by a minor.
The petition states: "It is obvious that one of the aims of the parade … is the promotion of the organization (Lithuanian Gay League) and attraction of new members – also the demonstration of a positive attitude towards nontraditional families. Therefore, the parade may be treated as the dissemination of public information."
The MPs said the parade also could provoke anti-gays to riot.
