Latvian radicals unveil their plans to limit ‘popularisation of homosexuality’
30/08/2006
By
Juris Lavrikovs
Yesterday, the National Force Union, a Latvian radical ultra-nationalistic organisations hosted a media conferences and announced their plans to submit a legislative proposal to restrict ‘popularisation and propaganda of homosexuality’. In order to achieve that the Union prepared amendments to Article 166 of the Latvian Criminal Law, which currently provides penalties for importing, producing, and demonstration of certain pornographic materials.
According to the proposals importing, producing and demonstration of materials reflecting sexual activities between persons of the same sex should be a criminal offence.
Secondly, the Union propose to amend Article 166 with following paragraph:
Popularisation of pederasty or lesbianism or public demonstration of sexual activities between the persons of the same sex or calling for introduction or recognition forms of marriage which do not correspond with Article 110 of the Latvian Constitution,
- punished with imprisonment for up to one year or detention, or with enforced labour, or with a penalty of up to 30 minimal monthly salaries.
To remind – Article 110 of the Latvian Constitution was amended last December to specify that marriage is a union of a man and a woman only.
The National Force Union has also stated yesterday that of the parliamentarians will not support the Union’s initiative and will not adopt proposed amendment to the Criminal Law, they will start a procedure of collecting signatures for a national referendum on banning ‘public propaganda of homosexuality’. According to the Latvian law 10,000 signatures collected in a special procedure, are enough to initiate a national referendum.
National Force Union was one of the most vocal and active opponent of the LGBT Pride events in Latvia, their election programme for the Latvian parliamentary election this October contains provision on renewal of death penalty and ban on ‘propaganda of homosexuality. However the public opinion polls suggest that the Union will not get support of 5% of the Latvian electorate which is required for the party to get a sit in the parliament. Currently only just over 1% of the electorate is ready to vote for the Union.
National Force Union – www.nss.lv
According to the proposals importing, producing and demonstration of materials reflecting sexual activities between persons of the same sex should be a criminal offence.
Secondly, the Union propose to amend Article 166 with following paragraph:
Popularisation of pederasty or lesbianism or public demonstration of sexual activities between the persons of the same sex or calling for introduction or recognition forms of marriage which do not correspond with Article 110 of the Latvian Constitution,
- punished with imprisonment for up to one year or detention, or with enforced labour, or with a penalty of up to 30 minimal monthly salaries.
To remind – Article 110 of the Latvian Constitution was amended last December to specify that marriage is a union of a man and a woman only.
The National Force Union has also stated yesterday that of the parliamentarians will not support the Union’s initiative and will not adopt proposed amendment to the Criminal Law, they will start a procedure of collecting signatures for a national referendum on banning ‘public propaganda of homosexuality’. According to the Latvian law 10,000 signatures collected in a special procedure, are enough to initiate a national referendum.
National Force Union was one of the most vocal and active opponent of the LGBT Pride events in Latvia, their election programme for the Latvian parliamentary election this October contains provision on renewal of death penalty and ban on ‘propaganda of homosexuality. However the public opinion polls suggest that the Union will not get support of 5% of the Latvian electorate which is required for the party to get a sit in the parliament. Currently only just over 1% of the electorate is ready to vote for the Union.
National Force Union – www.nss.lv
