Antigay Latvian
politician to head human rights committee

An antigay politician has become the new head of the Latvian parliament's human rights committee. Janis Smits, who has condemned homosexuality as a sin, has been elected by fellow parliament members to the post, reports BBC News. Smits is notorious for expressing the view that gay people are degenerate. He has also been a leading voice against proposed legislation that would protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of their sexuality. In June he advocated that the government should eliminate references to homosexuality in an antidiscrimination bill, describing the measure as "the legislation of sexual perversions." Local human rights organizations were disappointed by Smits's elevation to the post, and members of the European Parliament's gay rights group said that Latvian MPs did not take into consideration his history of discrimination and hatred. Smits's party, however, has said he will uphold the rights of all individuals in society. (The Advocate)