Please read an unofficial translation of her statement below.

Latvia allows sexual orientation discrimination in employment

Latvian parliament supports amendments to law, deleting ban to discriminate against employees on grounds of sexual orientation.

16:18, June 15, 2006

RIGA, Jun 15, BNS - The Latvian parliament on Thursday, after lengthy debates, approved in the final reading amendments to the labor law, deleting the ban to discriminate against employees on the grounds of sexual orientation.

The parliament social and labor affairs committee had prepared the amendments in accordance with the European Union (EU) requirements, including the ban on discrimination against employees on the grounds of sexual orientation.

After more than one hour of debates the parliament approved the proposal by Latvia's First Party (LPP) lawmaker Janis Smits to formally change the law without altering its contents. Thus the ban on discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation will not be included in the law.

The parliament decided that the rights under the labor law are provided for the residents, banning any direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, age, disability, religious, political or other beliefs, national or social origin, material or family status or other circumstances.

Such amendments were supported by LPP, Fatherland and Freedom (FF)/LNNK, Greens and Farmers Union, Harmony Center lawmakers and independent lawmakers Maris Gulbis, Inara Ostrovska, Aleksandrs Kirsteins and New Time lawmaker Inguna Ribena.

People's Party, New Time and some Harmony Center lawmakers were against the decision and some New Time, For Human Rights in United Latvia (PCTVL) and People's Party lawmakers abstained.

Read ILGA-Europe media release on this subject.