Melech 9,900 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 MOSCOW  Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics announced Thursday that he was gay, breaking a barrier in Eastern Europe’s socially conservative political arena. The declaration, made via a cheerful Twitter posting, immediately gave gay rights advocates a prominent voice in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. The region  where openly gay public figures are a rarity  has significantly lagged behind the United States and Western Europe in its acceptance of same-s-x relationships. The announcement came less than two months before Latvia assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1, giving Rinkevics an even higher-profile platform from which to push for more tolerance for same-s-x relationships. “Our country has to create a legal status for all kinds of partner relationships, and I will fight for this. I know that there will quickly be mega-hysteria, but #proudtobegay,†he wrote Thursday on Twitter. A spokesman confirmed the authenticity of the post. Rinkevics, 41, one of Latvia’s most popular politicians, had long declined to discuss his personal life. He is a member of the ruling Unity party and since 2011 has been foreign minister of the Baltic nation of 2 million people. Latvia enacted a constitutional ban on same-s-x marriage in 2005, and very few gay men and lesbians in the country are open about their s-xuality. A law that would confine s-x education in schools to traditional opposite-s-x marriage is making its way through Parliament. Rinkevics declined Thursday to comment on the timing of the announcement. It came a day after his post as foreign minister was confirmed as part of Latvia’s new government. The nation held parliamentary elections last month. Many other former Eastern Bloc countries also have constitutional bans on same-s-x marriages, and openly gay people have frequently complained about discrimination. The announcement comes at a time when tensions between the West and Russia, which has styled itself as a bastion of traditional family values, are at their highest level since the Cold War. Russia forbids “gay propaganda†to minors, a law that gay rights advocates say has been used to persecute them. After Apple chief executive Tim Cook announced last week that he was gay, an iPhone-shaped monument to Apple founder Steve Jobs was taken down in St. Petersburg. Openly gay European politicians have been subject to snipes from Eastern European leaders in the past. “It’s better to be a dictator than gay,†Belarusan President Alexander Lukashenko once said in response to criticism of his human rights record from then-German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is openly gay. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/06/gay-rights-in-eastern-europe-just-took-a-big-step-forward/ Inb4 Russia invades Latvia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmm 979 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Glad he had the confidence to come out Whether or not it'll have an affect on the day to day lives of the Latvian LGBT community will depend moreso on how people react to his coming out I guess Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix 17,395 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I'm glad to see that. Happy for him. + East Europe is just :nooo: when it comes to those rights. 💎 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOOON 540 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I live in Eastern Europe too, in Lithuania. Our school is christian, yesterday in our religion lessons, our teacher-nun taught us how being homos-xual is wrong and how the world is downgrading. Yup. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 I live in Eastern Europe too, in Lithuania. Our school is christian, yesterday in our religion lessons, our teacher-nun taught us how being homos-xual is wrong and how the world is downgrading. Yup. it doesn't say that everybody going to jump on unicorns vomiting rainbows. It's small step, but is an improvement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sia 314 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I'm still waiting for Kansas to pass the gay marriage law so i can get married if i choose too :madge: Don't be insecure if you heart is pure, you're still good to me if you're a bad kid baby. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael 533 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Brave man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 I'm glad to see that. Happy for him. + East Europe is just :nooo: when it comes to those rights. Estonia Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANZ 4,380 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I live in Eastern Europe too, in Lithuania. Our school is christian, yesterday in our religion lessons, our teacher-nun taught us how being homos-xual is wrong and how the world is downgrading. Yup. you guys have something like that in your schools? my country may not be the best but at least we don't have religious subjects like this, I would honestly lose my **** with them tbh My Favs = Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, AKB48 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lana Del Shade 78 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I live in Eastern Europe too, in Lithuania. Our school is christian, yesterday in our religion lessons, our teacher-nun taught us how being homos-xual is wrong and how the world is downgrading. Yup. Lol. When i was in my old school i had a teacher-nun to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 you guys have something like that in your schools? my country may not be the best but at least we don't have religious subjects like this, I would honestly lose my **** with them tbh I think every school has religious classes. We have for example evangelic, catholic and even muslim religion classes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANZ 4,380 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I think every school has religious classes. We have for example evangelic, catholic and even muslim religion classes I think only private schools do that I had philosophy in high school, it was a public school and basically we talked about other religions, the teacher explained what they were about but we didn't have to believe in anything, it was just culture, meanwhile I have seen in private catholic school that they take religion as history that was nothing but pure facts My Favs = Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, AKB48 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neptune 156 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Inb4 he's killed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azor Ahai 18,861 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I think only private schools do that I had philosophy in high school, it was a public school and basically we talked about other religions, the teacher explained what they were about but we didn't have to believe in anything, it was just culture, meanwhile I have seen in private catholic school that they take religion as history that was nothing but pure facts In Greek we have orthodox christianity classes where we talk about stuff in the bible and how the orthodox are the best , everyone else sucks and gays along with muslims will burn in hell . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANZ 4,380 Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 In Greek we have orthodox christianity classes where we talk about stuff in the bible and how the orthodox are the best , everyone else sucks and gays along with muslims will burn in hell . this is why religion and school/politics shouldn't be in the same sentence My Favs = Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, AKB48 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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