Latvia moves
toward constitutional ban on same-sex marriage

The Latvian parliament took a first step Thursday toward establishing a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, voting in favor of sending the proposed amendment to a parliamentary committee for review. Fifty-five lawmakers in the 100-seat Saeima, or parliament, voted in favor of sending the proposed amendment for review, one voted against, and 44 lawmakers either abstained or were absent. If the committee approves the bill, it will go back to the Saeima for a vote. To amend the constitution, two thirds of the Saeima, or 67 lawmakers, would have to vote in favor. Same-sex marriage is already banned under Latvian law, but proponents of the bill say a constitutional amendment would strengthen the ban in the face of greater acceptance of same-sex unions in other European Union countries. Inese Slesere, a First Party lawmaker, told the Saeima that gay organizations were strongly defending their rights in many European countries but that same-sex unions should not be permitted in Latvia. But after having been forced underground during nearly five decades of Soviet occupation, which ended in 1991, Latvia's gays lesbians have been struggling to find a political voice and have made few public calls to legalize same-sex marriage. About 50 Latvians marched in the country's first-ever gay pride parade in July and were flanked by hundreds of screaming protesters, some of whom shouted insults and threw eggs. Juris Lavrikovs, a Latvian in the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association in Brussels, said next year's parliamentary elections could be the biggest reason for the proposed constitutional amendment. "The [gay pride] parade last summer united the country's [ethnic] Latvians and Russians," Lavrikovs said. "The First Party has found a convenient enemy to attack to rally support in the run-up to next year's elections." (AP)