However, the new regulation does not mean marriage equality.
Gay and lesbian couples can officially register their partnership in Latvia from July 2024. The Baltic EU country’s parliament in Riga on Thursday approved several changes to the law that will allow homosexuals to legally protect their relationships.
However, the new regulations do not mean marriage equality. This was incorporated into the law as a conclusion at the request of an opposition deputy. The Latvian constitution also explicitly stipulates marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
A narrow majority voted in favor
After a sometimes heated debate, a narrow majority of the 100 deputies in Saeima’s parliament voted in favor of controversial regulations in Latvia, which are intended to offer same-sex couples a minimum of legal and social protection.
Homosexuality is still often a taboo topic in Latvia and is met with reservations. In this year’s Rainbow Europe rankings by ILGA Europe, the Baltic state in northeastern Europe ranked 37th. The legal situation of LGBTQ people in the EU was only worse in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. (APA)