■ Jānis Birks, Mayor of Riga:  “I am ashamed of what happened last year.”

RIGA, March 3, 2007  –  Jānis Birks, the newly elected Mayor of Riga, appears to have no issues with the Gay Pride parade in the Latvian capital.

He was interviewed by the internet-based Latvia news portal V-Diena, which is run by the biggest Latvian daily newspaper Diena. In the wider-ranging interview, the question of Riga Gay Pride was raised.

In the interview, published in Latvia, he said he was “ashamed of what happened last year” when excrement was thrown at participants of Gay Pride.

But he wondered if Riga was “ready to see such march in the city centre”.

This is an English translation, provided by Juris Lavrikovs, of the Gay Pride part of the interview.

Jānis Birks (JB):  Regarding the Gay march. In fact I am ashamed of what happened last year. To come out with something like this, how degraded you have to be? [He is talking about the excrement throwing, not the march, translator]

We are talking about society where everyone has a right to expression and the society has to respect the right of everyone to express.  Unfortunately we inherited a heavy legacy from the Soviet time that society cannot accept such march.  However the problem is not in the march but sexual orientation.  We need to have discussion within society.  What happened on the side of sexual minorities and the other side, I think we need understanding from both sides.

Vdiena:  What sort of discussion is possible when you [have bags of excrement thrown at you]?

JB:  What happened after the mach?  Did we have society’s discussion?  Somehow I did not see it.  There was a march, there were activities, but afterwards everything became quiet.  As well as with any other problem, how can we resolve this one otherwise?  Only thought talking, discussing and arguing.  On both sides.

Vdiena:  What is that problem which needs to be resolved?

JB:  There has to be understanding on rights of both sides.  On tolerance, on society’s attitudes toward these issues.

Vdiena:  It will not be resolved that quickly.

JB:  I do not see any other way but talking, telling, discussing.

Vdiena:  So you support the march itself?

JB:  The match needs to be safe from both sides.  If security can be provided I do not see why they [LGBT people] cannot march.  But the question is where. Is society ready to see such march in the city centre?

Vdiena:  You are contradicting yourself saying there is a right for expression but also saying that however some can express themselves in the city centre but others cannot.

JB:  To allow that these people [to] confront each other?  How in this case you will achieve such dialogue, understanding about these processes?  We will only push one against the other. I think that both sides need to demonstrate understanding about these processes, past legacy, which society cannot overcome.

Vdiena:  What are you, as the Mayor of Riga, and the City Council are going to do?  Promote discussion?

JB:  I think that these organisations need to work on this discussion.  Understanding about these issues needs to be promoted within the society.  I, as a medial doctor, am clear about this problem.  However not that many people have the same education as I do.

Vdiena:  Now that we have new rules that a march does not need to have a permission from the City Council but the City Council simply needs to be informed – what do you suggest for the organisers?

JB:  Any one who organise such event needs to take into account possible consequences.  Is the chosen mean justifies the purpose – needs to be thought through properly.  For them to find a form the best to do it.  Personally I have no hate towards or misunderstanding of those people.

Vdiena: Will you talk to these organisations before the march?

JB:  If it is necessary I will talk to them.  If this provides some good to the society.  However the problem is not within me.

■  This year's Riga Gay Pride is being held between May 30 and June 3, with the parade on June 2.

SEE ALSO

Mayor of London Urges New Mayor of Riga to Press on With Latvian Gay Pride March.  The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, today welcomed the statement of the new Mayor of Riga saying he was “ashamed” of the attack on the Gay Pride march in that city last year and urged him to ensure that the peaceful Gay Pride march in the city this year could proceed.  (UK Gay News, March 5, 2007)

LINKS

website (English)

 

Posted: 3 March 2007 at 12:30 (UK time)