Riga is the pal of Latvia, a former soviet untry northeastern Europe. It was recently the host of the 2015 EuroPri, but jt how gay-iendly is Riga?
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LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE
* gay pride latvia *
As we kicked off our #mygaypri mpaign this summer to promote Gay Pri ci worldwi, Riga beme an unual top choice. ” This was my first imprsn of the gay-iendls of Riga and wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t great.
Later the same day I was off to meet my tour gui along wh other #mygaypri team members, fellow travel blogger Adam om Travels of Adam and Jamie om Gay Star News, our media partner for the mpaign. That night was time to check out the gay scene startg wh Goln, one of Riga’s two gay bars.
Riga’s other gay bar is XXL. The same owners even operate a small gay hotel if that’s your kd of thg. I don’t re if you are a gay untry sger or not.
GAY LATVIA
As Edgars Rkēvičs be the first openly gay print Latvia’s history, here’s a glimpse at other openly gay heads of state om around the world. * gay pride latvia *
After our quick exposure to this charmg and vg Latvian cy, I n easily see as a great, unforeen statn for gay travelers. It’s not nearly as gay-iendly as s Wtern European neighbors, but ’s makg stris that directn and EuroPri helped to take another step. The gays n seek out their own the gay bars and also feel fortable, while beg somewhat ut, enjoyg all the cy has to offer to all s visors, gays and straights alike.
Latvia swore the first openly gay print of a Baltic natn Rkēvičs, who sce 2011 was the untry’s foreign mister, was elected by Parliament May after Print Egils Levs did not seek re-electn. ”Rkēvičs “proudly” announced he is gay on Twter November 2014, though the untry, a former Soviet republic, is not pecially LGBTQ-clive. ” He said he knew there would be “mega hysteria, ” but he end wh the hashtag “#Proudtobegay.
”He is one of jt a few openly gay heads of state the world. She is thought to be the first openly gay prime mister the was an active unnist her nearly 10 years workg as a flight attendant, acrdg to the Council of Women World Lears, a work of female heads of state. After the accatn, he said, he was chased down the street by reporters, one of whom yelled, “Yet they say you’re a homosexual!
Intro: Latvia is a ee untry, sce 1991, and now a proud member of the E.U. It boasts a expansive ast on the Baltic Sea as well as unique World Herage turn-of-the-century archecture. It's olr cizens are nservative by nature, rememberg the 60-year Soviet occupatn, while younger cizens reach for the future through tn and unhibed exchange wh the world. Not surprisg however, as other former munist-domated eastern European untri, homophobia ns high fired by Catholic Church nmnatn and neo-Nazi rhetoric and vlence agast LGBT people. Sce the first Pri march 2005 there have been threats, aggrsn and law sus to stop the event. But 2007 wh worldwi attentn foced on the Riga cy ftival there were signs of social soberg wh official permissn and police protectn; the most Pri ftival happened peacefully wh succs. Prented here is a story om Passport magaze that looks at recent history and behd the hysteria to fd a quiet brave gay muny of hospable and welg activists, cizens and bs people. * gay pride latvia *
”Xavier Bettel Prime Mister of Luxembourg (2013-prent)Luxembourg Prime Mister Xavier Bettel at a news nference Belgra, Serbia, on July Vojovic / APBettel was first elected prime mister of Luxembourg 2013, and 2018 he beme the first openly gay prime mister the world to be re-elected for a send marriage beme legal Luxembourg 2015, and the same year Bettel beme the first servg European Unn lear to marry a same-sex partner, the BBC recently cricized a Hungarian law that bans school tnal materials and TV shows for people unr 18 that are emed to promote LGBTQ ntent, Rters reported. “To be natnally blamed, to be nsired as not normal, to be nsired as a danger for young people — ’s not realizg that beg gay is not a choice, ” Bettel said, acrdg to Rters.