Latvia slammed
for not passing labor protections for gays

Amnesty International has accused Latvian politicians of violating European Union laws that guarantee the rights of gays and lesbians. In an open letter to the country's parliament, the London-based human rights watchdog called on the Latvian government to rewrite its labor law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Last week Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga vetoed the labor protection bill for not including LGBT workers and sent it back to parliament. Originally passed in 2004 as a condition of European Union membership and, as required by the E.U., containing protections for gays, the law was never implemented. Then this month, after a heated debate, parliament voted to remove the LGBT protections and pass the revised bill. (Sirius OutQ News)