Gay news from the Baltic countries

* Latvian human rights boss: Gays don’t deserve rights
(PinkNews & 365gay 5.12.06) His appointment was controversial, and now gay groups seem to have been proven right after the head of Latvia’s human rights committee told a press conference that the gay community should not be given equal rights to heterosexuals.
Janis Smits told a press conference this week that gay people are not a legitimate minority and should “recover normal sexual orientation.”

Smits' election to head the human rights committee is seen as a stinging rebuke of President Vaira Vike-Freiberga over her support of LGBT rights.
In Parliament earlier this year he led the attack on labor legislation to include protections for gay and lesbian workers. In a speech to lawmakers he called the bill "the legalization of sexual perversions".
In June he rushed through amendments to the bill overhauling labor law in Latvia to strip out the gay inclusion.
The vote made Latvia the only EU member state without legislation specifically outlawing discrimination at work and in housing on the grounds of sexual orientation.
When the measure arrived on President Vaira Vike-Freiberga’s desk she refused to sign it and sent it back to Parliament with a terse message that sexuality needs to be listed alongside discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religious or political beliefs.
Sexuality was inserted back into the bill and it narrowly passed. The president then signed it into law.
But since then right-of-center parties have sought vengeance.

As a European Union member state, Latvia is expected to protect its LGBT citizens from discrimination.
Michael Cashman, President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, said: "Mr. Janis Smits has been a vocal opponent to universal human rights, advocating a world in which gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender peoples have no rights to protection, no rights to exist.
"It is our common duty, as politicians, to ensure that we do not make grave errors of judgement by selecting individuals who are ill suited to take charge of such crucial dossiers."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3177.html
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/12/120406latvia.htm

* Estonian gay activist to stand for parliament
(PinkNews 6.12.06) One of Estonia’s most prominent gay men has announced that he is to run for a seat in the country’s parliament in next year’s general election.
Andi Ravalepik told Eesti Paevaleht newspaper that he will be contesting a seat in the 101-member Riigikogu in the March 2007 general election.
The 27-year-old, who runs a gay and lesbian information centre in the capital, Tallinn, is joining the minority Social Democratic party ticket.
Two if the parties who form the current coalition government have said they would "tolerate" same sex marriage, while the Social Democrats are actively campaigning for the extension of marital rights to gay couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3190.html