Latvia joined the EU and NATO in 1994 and has experienced some struggles to balance the coutry's nationalism with European laws and values.
Unsurprisingly, it's been the Church that’s resisted the development of a strong, legally protected LGBT community. Cardinal Janis Pujats, head of the Latvian Roman Catholic Church, issued a series of statements on March 13 denouncing a new national program aimed at preventing problems of intolerance of sexual minorities.
The Latvian population is mostly Christian, the largest group being Lutheran with smaller percentages claiming to be Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox.
Not content with a healthy contingent of home-grown homophobes, religious leaders in Latvia have been importing anti-gay firebrands to support their cause.
Last week, ex-NFL player Pastor Ken Hutcherson flew in from Washington to give advice on fighting LGBT rights. He was joined by another American, Scott Lively, co-author of The Pink Swastika- Homosexuality in the Nazi Party.
This disturbing book is an insane diatribe claiming that ‘homosexualism’ not only gave birth to Nazi imperialism but also led to the Holocaust itself. The scary tome, which happens to be on its 4th edition, also claims that: “homosexuality is primarily a predatory addiction striving to take the weak and unsuspecting down with it”.
Just in case you were wondering, a ‘homosexualist’ is any person, gay or not, who “actively promotes homosexuality as morally and socially equivalent to heterosexuality as a basis for social policy”.
The Latvian anti-gay crisis which hosted these frightening characters, was organised by Janis Vanags, Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church.It was also attended by Janis Pujats (pic'd here), Cardinal of the Latvian Roman Catholics, Peteris Sprogis, Bishops of the Latvian Baptist Union, Aleksejs Ledjajevs, pastor of the 'New Generation' church, Vilnis Gleske, pastor of the 'Joyful News' church, Viesturs Rekis, Bishop of the Latvian Seventh Day Adventists, Janis Ozolnkevics, leader of the Pentecost church, and Nikolai Tihomirov, representative of the Russian Orthodox church.
This cabal of proud homophobes gathering in such a manner should send a shudder down the spines of lesbian and gay men the world over.
Janis Smits, chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights and Social Affairs Committee, Talivaldis Talbergs, president of Latvian Christian radio, Inta Feldmane, MP, and Aina Krukle, representative of the Riga City Council also participated in this discussion.
US guest Reverend Ken Hutcherson spoke to the eager crowd, pledging his support for the Latvian anti-gay movement.
He warned of “homosexual pressure” and the “destructive forces of homosexualism.”
Hutcherson is no stranger to controversy and has no fear of picking fights with adversaries bigger than himself.
In 2005, he took on Microsoft, demanding the software maker withdraw its support for a bill making it illegal to fire employees due to sexual orientation.
After initial headway fuelled by his threats of a boycott, Microsoft saw sense, and kicked Hucherson to the kerb.
Most alarming of all, Janis Smits, chairperson of the Latvian Parliamentary Human Rights Committee was also in attendance at this anti-gay conference.
His mere presence shows a defiant disregard for the international concern at his suitability for this post. The fact that he was an enthusiastic speaker at the event shows a worrying disregard for human rights. Showing allegiance with such groups should lead to a call for his resignation.
At the meeting, Smits warned the fervent audience of how LGBT organisations gain strength through international support.
He provided the participants of the meeting with a lengthy document prepared by Mozaika (Latvia’s gay rights group), as evidence of the creeping powers the of country’s gay community.
It seems that this resurgence in anti-gay sentiment has been inspired by the news that Pride London have twinned with Riga Pride, with the support of Mayor Ken Livingstone and the British Embassy in Riga.
Riga Friendship Days 2007 and March for Equality will be held from May 31 – June 3.
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