Latvian LGBT activists requested Riga city permission for second Pride march
11/04/2006
Submitted by
Juris Lavrikovs
Today the Latvian Alliance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their friends “Mosaic” submitted an official request to the City Council of Riga for a second pride March on 22 July 2006.
The Pride March, which in many corners of the world became a colourful and joyful annual celebration, will take place in the Latvian capital of Riga for the second time. The March, which this year is planned in the centre of the city rather than in the Old Town, is just one element of five Friendship Days event. The event is organised by ‘Mosaic’ in cooperation with a number of other Latvian and foreign organisations.
Invitations to take part in the Latvian Pride have been sent to Laila Freivalds, former Sweden’s foreign minister, Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, members of the European Parliament, various politicians in Austria, Germany and Sweden, as well as a number of international human rights organisations. All invited politicians in their respective countries expressed strong support to LGBT rights.
The RFSL, the Swedish national LGBT organisation, has already allocated 3,500 Euros to the ‘Mosaic’ towards the organisation of the second Latvian Pride and offered their assistance in terms of organisation matters.
During the Friendship Days on 19-23 July 2006 the organisers are planning a number of events: round table discussion with the representatives of the Latvian political parties on LGBT rights; cinema evening in cooperation with the Scandinavian Film Institute, concert, photo exhibition and two seminars. Many members of ‘Mosaic’ took part in the organisation of the first Pride in 2005. However the last year experience demonstrated that the first Pride was not organised at its best, the society was not properly informed and educated why such event was necessary in Latvia. Therefore this year a wider and more professional circle of people are involved, there is much greater cooperation with other human rights organisations and there is a timely and thorough work with the media.
‘Mosaic’ is aiming to organise a peaceful and inclusive event which advocates human rights and everyone’s right to love and family, affirms human diversity and celebrates Riga as a cosmopolitan, diverse and open European city.
‘Mosaic’ welcomes all democratic organisations willing to work with us in preparation of the Friendship Days.
For further information please contact:
Linda Freimane: +371 940 41 11
Maris Sants: +371 917 26 53
Vita Brakovska: + 371 920 35 33
mozaika@apollo.lv
http://www.mozaika.lv
Notes:
(1) ‘Mosaic’ is an alliance of LGBT people and their friends and was established in the beginning of 2006. One of the first campaigns organised by ‘Mosaic’ was a petition ‘Write to President to Say No to Homophobia’ last December urging the Latvian President not to sign a homophobic constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman.
The Pride March, which in many corners of the world became a colourful and joyful annual celebration, will take place in the Latvian capital of Riga for the second time. The March, which this year is planned in the centre of the city rather than in the Old Town, is just one element of five Friendship Days event. The event is organised by ‘Mosaic’ in cooperation with a number of other Latvian and foreign organisations.
Invitations to take part in the Latvian Pride have been sent to Laila Freivalds, former Sweden’s foreign minister, Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, members of the European Parliament, various politicians in Austria, Germany and Sweden, as well as a number of international human rights organisations. All invited politicians in their respective countries expressed strong support to LGBT rights.
The RFSL, the Swedish national LGBT organisation, has already allocated 3,500 Euros to the ‘Mosaic’ towards the organisation of the second Latvian Pride and offered their assistance in terms of organisation matters.
During the Friendship Days on 19-23 July 2006 the organisers are planning a number of events: round table discussion with the representatives of the Latvian political parties on LGBT rights; cinema evening in cooperation with the Scandinavian Film Institute, concert, photo exhibition and two seminars. Many members of ‘Mosaic’ took part in the organisation of the first Pride in 2005. However the last year experience demonstrated that the first Pride was not organised at its best, the society was not properly informed and educated why such event was necessary in Latvia. Therefore this year a wider and more professional circle of people are involved, there is much greater cooperation with other human rights organisations and there is a timely and thorough work with the media.
‘Mosaic’ is aiming to organise a peaceful and inclusive event which advocates human rights and everyone’s right to love and family, affirms human diversity and celebrates Riga as a cosmopolitan, diverse and open European city.
‘Mosaic’ welcomes all democratic organisations willing to work with us in preparation of the Friendship Days.
For further information please contact:
Linda Freimane: +371 940 41 11
Maris Sants: +371 917 26 53
Vita Brakovska: + 371 920 35 33
mozaika@apollo.lv
http://www.mozaika.lv
Notes:
(1) ‘Mosaic’ is an alliance of LGBT people and their friends and was established in the beginning of 2006. One of the first campaigns organised by ‘Mosaic’ was a petition ‘Write to President to Say No to Homophobia’ last December urging the Latvian President not to sign a homophobic constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman.
