Grybauskaite: Ten Walls' homophobic rant shows “how insular we [Lithuanians] are”

Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, believes the recent homophobic rant made by Lithuanian musician, Ten Walls, shows how “insular” Lithuanians are. 

However, she added she feels the backlash has highlighed how Lithuanian society is becoming more open in addressing issues surrounding minorities.

“I believe the incident benefits the state in a way that, in this country, we are becoming more and more open in our discussions about insular we are, our intolerance of people who are different, as well as homophobia,” Grybauskaite told a group of journalists in Vilnius on June 10. 

“I believe discussions are a healthy thing,” she continued. “We need more of them, and the sooner Lithuania becomes more open and more tolerant, the better it will for the country.” 

On June 3, Ten Walls, also known as Marijus Adomaitis, posted a homophobic rant on his Facebook page, which equated homosexuality to sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests and referred to homosexuals as "a different breed."

Despite admitting he wrote the comments and issuing an apology on June 7, Adomaitis has come under fire from the international music and LGBT communities.

As a result of the rant, he has also lost 10 slots at international music festivals; most notably Creamfields, Sonar and PITCH. 

To read Adomaitis' rant, click here.