Latvia legalises gay civil unions in ‘important step’ forward

Gay civil unions in Latvia are legal (Image: Pexels)

On Thursday (9 November) the Parliament in Latvia voted to legalise civil unions for gay couples. It means, for the first time, that gay couples have been given legal recognition.

However, their rights still fall short of those of other married couples.

Same-sex couples will, when the law takes effect mid-2024, be able to register their union, visit each other in hospital, and access tax and social security benefits.

“This is a good day,” wrote Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on X on Thursday. Recognising it as an “important step in creating a modern and humane Latvia,” Siliņa celebrated that the state has “given a clear signal that all families are important.”

Šī ir laba diena. Sabiedrība spērusi nozīmīgu

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