First Party of Latvia does not want Pride march in central Riga
23/05/2006
Submitted by
Juris Lavrikovs
By Dita Araja, “Diena”, leading Latvian daily, 23 May 2006,
www.diena.lv/latvijas_zinas/lasit.php?id=277595
[translation by Juris Lavrikovs]
An application for the 22 July Riga Pride March have been submitted to the Riga City Council by homosexual support organisations and reacting to this application the First Party of Latvia stated it asks the Riga City Council leadership not to allow the Pride march in the centre of Riga. This year the First party’s stance is not as radical as last year – the party, although not willingly, but accepts permission for the Pride march in principle. Linda Freimane, representative of lesbian and gay organisation ‘Mozaika’, explains that compared to the last year event this summer there will be also educational events during a few days. Applicants for the march agree with not allowing the march in the Old Riga but at the same time they would not agree if they would be pushed to the outskirts of Riga. They would like to gather at the Vermanes park.
Discussion around lesbian and gay march once again drew attention to the controversial coalition between the First Party of Latvia and the Latvia’s Way as the First Party states it is based on conservative Christian values but the Latvia’s Way, since its establishment, is a liberal party. Crossfire most of all might threaten Katrina Pētersone, minister for social integration (Latvia’s Way) whose duty is to promote tolerance towards minority groups, but her party’s belonging to this coalition demands also taking into account coalition partner’s views. K.Pētersone said that since last year, when the First Party fueled negative attitudes towards homosexuals, a lot have changed and she personally did not experience expressions of intolerance from the First Party. She is not against the march and explained the issues related to tolerance and the march to the First Party’ faction at the parliament and got impression that members of the First Party were understanding. “First Part of Latvia needs to become more liberal and the Latvia’s Way needs to become more conservative in order to be able to respect each other” said Edgars Vaikulis, spokesperson of the First Party of Latvia.
However it is not clear what exactly the First Party understands as the centre of Riga calling for not allowing lesbian and gay march and E.Vaikulis said the Riga City Council’s officers have to agree on that. Therefore the responsibility in this specific case should be taken by the New Era, which has the lead at the Riga City Council and whose members, Aivars Aksenoks, the mayor of Riga, and Ēriks Škapars, the executive director of the Riga City Council, have to make final decision.
JL – provisional programme of the second Latvian Pride is available at Mozaika’s website:
www.mozaika.lv/index.php?part=10&part2=33&us=892437736&lng=en
www.diena.lv/latvijas_zinas/lasit.php?id=277595
[translation by Juris Lavrikovs]
An application for the 22 July Riga Pride March have been submitted to the Riga City Council by homosexual support organisations and reacting to this application the First Party of Latvia stated it asks the Riga City Council leadership not to allow the Pride march in the centre of Riga. This year the First party’s stance is not as radical as last year – the party, although not willingly, but accepts permission for the Pride march in principle. Linda Freimane, representative of lesbian and gay organisation ‘Mozaika’, explains that compared to the last year event this summer there will be also educational events during a few days. Applicants for the march agree with not allowing the march in the Old Riga but at the same time they would not agree if they would be pushed to the outskirts of Riga. They would like to gather at the Vermanes park.
Discussion around lesbian and gay march once again drew attention to the controversial coalition between the First Party of Latvia and the Latvia’s Way as the First Party states it is based on conservative Christian values but the Latvia’s Way, since its establishment, is a liberal party. Crossfire most of all might threaten Katrina Pētersone, minister for social integration (Latvia’s Way) whose duty is to promote tolerance towards minority groups, but her party’s belonging to this coalition demands also taking into account coalition partner’s views. K.Pētersone said that since last year, when the First Party fueled negative attitudes towards homosexuals, a lot have changed and she personally did not experience expressions of intolerance from the First Party. She is not against the march and explained the issues related to tolerance and the march to the First Party’ faction at the parliament and got impression that members of the First Party were understanding. “First Part of Latvia needs to become more liberal and the Latvia’s Way needs to become more conservative in order to be able to respect each other” said Edgars Vaikulis, spokesperson of the First Party of Latvia.
However it is not clear what exactly the First Party understands as the centre of Riga calling for not allowing lesbian and gay march and E.Vaikulis said the Riga City Council’s officers have to agree on that. Therefore the responsibility in this specific case should be taken by the New Era, which has the lead at the Riga City Council and whose members, Aivars Aksenoks, the mayor of Riga, and Ēriks Škapars, the executive director of the Riga City Council, have to make final decision.
JL – provisional programme of the second Latvian Pride is available at Mozaika’s website:
www.mozaika.lv/index.php?part=10&part2=33&us=892437736&lng=en
