Michael Pelz is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto in the Department of Political Science. His doctoral research examines variations in state policies towards LGBT persons in Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on the Baltic States. Outside of academia, Michael has served as an International Policy Analyst with Egale, Canada’s national LGBT human rights organization. He previously studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Western Ontario. You can follow him on Twitter @pelzm.