■ Emine Bozkurt MEP: “I salute her for standing up for European law”

BRUSSELS, June 21, 2006  –  The European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights has welcomed today’s decision by the Latvian President to send back to parliament the Labour Law which excluded sexual orientation from anti-discrimination provisions.

In a letter to the President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, signed by Intergroup president Michael Cashman and vice presidents Sophie in 't Veld, Raúl Romeva and Alexander Stubb, The group described her decision as “courageous”.

And other MEPs, including Emine Bozkurt, have praised the Latvian President,

“We are heartened by your action and convinced that through your political commitment to non-discrimination, symbolised by your action today, the LGBT community in Latvia will benefit from greater protection as enshrined in European Law,” the letter for the Intergroup reads.

“We like to offer you our thanks and on-going support for your stance. We are convinced that you will do everything necessary and within your powers as President to ensure your country respects her EU obligations whilst promoting and defending the interests of minorities.”

President Vike-Freiberga today asked the Latvian Parliament to revise the amendments to the Labor Law it passed last week.

In a letter to Ingrida Udre, Vike-Freiberga, Parliament’s Speaker, the president wrote that a person’s right to employment is not tied with his or her private life, which is protected by the Constitution.

“Considering the above-mentioned, as well as the fact that the ban on discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation would equally protect both individuals with conventional sexual orientation as well as homosexuals, I see a logical reason to place this kind of discrimination alongside race, colour, gender, age, disability, religious, political or other belief, ethnic or social origin, financial or marital status,” the president wrote.

Joining the praise for the Latvian President was Emine Bozkurt, a Dutch social-democrat MEP.

“I salute her for standing up for European law,” said Bozkurt in a statement today.

But Ms. Bozkurt insisted that 'Latvia needs to stick to EU law and has to ban discrimination of lesbians and gay men.

“.The [European] Commission has to take action against countries who defy the very basis of the EU,” she insisted. 

“It is unthinkable that Latvia just ignores existing EU law.  We saw this coming a year ago.  I asked the Commission then to follow up and extend the Waaldijk Report on the transposition of the employment anti-discrimination directive to the new member states.”

Ms. Bozkurt pointed out that last week’s vote was the seventh time that the Latvian parliament rejects a law proposal to protect gays and lesbians in the job market.

“This debate, as well as previous ones, was characterised by homophobic and denigrating remarks by Latvian parliamentarians,” she added

Emine Bozkurt wants the European Union to examine how the right to a discrimination-free work environment is put into practise in the different member states.  The public debate can be called homophobic in a number of countries, not only in Latvia, but also, for example, in Poland.

Bozkurt is afraid that the translation into practise fails in these member states.

LINK

European Parliament Intergroup on Gay & Lesbian Rights website

RECENT LATVIAN COVERAGE

Hopes That Latvian President Will Reject New Anti-Gay Employment Law Following High-Level Talks.  Following high-level talks today, there is good reason to believe that the Latvian President, Vaira Viķe-Freiberga, will reject the employment law passed last week by Parliament after references to discrimination on grounds of sexuality were removed. (UK Gay News, June 20, 2006)

Gay Activists At Presidential Office to Discuss Labour Law as Youth Group Seeks Referendum on Gay Pride.  Latvian gay human rights group Mozaika is joining other human rights organisation and representatives from government ministries for discussions on last weeks vote by the Parliament to delete ‘sexual orientation’ from the anti-discrimination article of the country’s Labour Law.  (UK Gay News, June 20, 2006)

Latvian Parliament Decision on Excluding Gays From Labour Laws Is Condemned Across Europe.  European politicians have reacted strongly today to the decision of the Latvian Parliament to delete references to sexual orientation from  the country’s labour laws which are to be introduced as a requirement of European Union membership.  Even Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks criticised Parliament’s decision.  (UK Gay News, June 16, 2006)

Latvian Parliament Confirms Anti-Gay as Member of OSCE Delegation.  The Latvian Parliament today approved Dainis Turlais, MP, to be included as a member of the Latvian delegation within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). (UK Gay News, June 1, 2006)