Anti-Gay Hysteria in Latvia

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 18:50:10 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Anti-Gay Hysteria in Latvia

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Juris Lavrikovs <[email protected]>

Anti-Gay Hysteria in Latvia


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>From the moderator: Normally we don't cover on this list the issues
related to sexual minorities. However, the following posting is
circulated to express our solidarity with and to add our voice to
strong protests against the appalling case of intolerance, against
explicit calls for discrimination of lesbians and gays.
Boris
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ANTI-GAY HYSTERIA IN LATVIA

By Juris Ludvigs Lavrikovs

Summary

Two weeks ago the publishing company �Vieda� announced a scandalous
competition for the best composition on the subject �Latvia without
homosexuality.�  The company invited pupils, students, and any Latvian
resident to take part in the �just struggle against homosexuality.�

The language used by the company is extremely hysterical and
offensive. The Latvian National Human Rights Office (LNHRO) stated
that the topics suggested for the competition are �discriminatory and
humiliating.� The Office indicated it might call on the Public
Prosecutor�s Office to launch a criminal investigation against the
organisers. Mr Bruvers, the Director of the Office, said that in a
democratic society everybody has a right to expression, including
regarding homosexuality, but no one has a right to offend persons who
are different. Mr Garda, the Director of Vieda, immediately started an
offensive campaign against Mr Bruvers and the Latvian Human Rights
Office, suggesting that Latvia is the only country in the world where
non-homosexuals are oppressed and �abnormality� is supported and
promoted.

The latest and most shocking development is that a small number of
members of the Latvian Parliament, including three members of the
Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, have joined the �crusade
against homosexuals.� Latvian lesbian and gay organisations have sent
a letter of protest demanding that these MPs quit their positions in
the Human Rights Commission or be excluded from its work for
manifestly anti-human-rights activities.

Vieda�s competitions

Earlier this year Vieda organised another competition on the topic of
the �decolonisation� of Latvia. That competition and Vieda�s
activities promoting anti-Russian sentiment were heavily criticised by
Russia and Europe.

This time Vieda has announced its �just struggle against
homosexuality.� The suggested topics speak for themselves:
�Do we want to experience homosexual �families�?�
�Will we have be clear-minded and courageous enough for once to unite
and stop the dissemination of homosexuality?�
�Isn�t it high time we eliminated homosexuality?�
�Homosexuality � a norm or Satanism?�
�The law should ban homosexuality, shame and disgrace of humanity.�
�Does Latvia need to join the European Union that blasphemes the Holy
Spirit by permitting same-sex marriages?�
�Homosexuality as a sign of degeneration and herald of the end of the
world.�

The organisers are planning to award the winner 100 Latvian Lats (ca
100 GBP), publish the best submissions and send them to the Pope, the
UN, UNESCO, the Latvian President and the Latvian Prime Minister.

Mr Garda, in his article on a right-wing Latvian website (
http://www.latvians.lv ), states that homosexuality is in
contradiction with Holy Scripture and that homosexuals engaging in a
sexual act sacrifice themselves to Satan and therefore become agents
of Satan, and no better that Satan himself. He goes on to say that not
only is homosexuality itself dangerous, but also society�s tolerant
attitudes towards homosexuality. In his view tolerance towards
homosexuality demonstrates that society�s basic moral principles have
been devalued and that our civilisation is close to its end, similarly
to Sodom and Gomorrah, the Roman Empire etc.

Position of the Latvian National Human Rights Office

The first reaction from the Latvian Human Rights Office was that if
the Office receives complaints about Vieda�s competition it may call
on the Public Prosecutor�s Office to launch a criminal investigation
against the organisers. In the view of the Office the topics suggested
for the competition �undermine personal honour and respect and are
discriminatory.�

The Latvian National Human Rights Office is an independent State
institution and its functions are very similar to those of an
Ombudsman. The Office�s views and opinions are purely advisory and are
not legally binding.

The Office has a long history of supporting lesbian and gay rights in
Latvia and for this reason is regarded as a controversial institution
by a few members of the Parliament and by some members of the public.
The Office has submitted a number of proposals for inclusion of sexual
orientation in Latvian anti-discrimination legislation, delivered its
opinion on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in a case
in which a gay policeman was dismissed solely because of his
sexuality, conducted research on lesbian and gay rights, and submitted
proposals for a partnership law to the Parliament.

Mr Bruvers, a devout Christian and a family man, who is an ordained
Baptist minister, had to abandon his right to preach as a Baptist
minister following pressure from the leaders of the Latvian Baptist
Church who suggested that his support for lesbian and gay rights
contradicts Church doctrine.

Following heated discussion around Vieda�s competition, the Office
delivered its response. According to the Office, the right to free
expression is one of the basic rights in a democratic society and is
guaranteed by the Latvian Constitution, the European Convention on
Human Rights and other international human rights treaties. This right
includes not only information and ideas that are positive, neutral and
inoffensive, but also those that shock, offend and disturb some
members of society.

At the same time, the Office stressed that this right is not absolute
and can be restricted in cases where the rights of others are
endangered, for example, the right to privacy or personal safety. The
Office referred to case law of the European Court of Human Rights that
restricts the right to expression when that expression is humiliating
and offensive.

The Office further considered whether the organisation of the
competition �Latvia without homosexuality� is a violation of human
rights. The Office noted that although it supports any discussion on
the topic, the competition in question allows only those who oppose
homosexuality to take part in it and therefore this is not a
discussion about but against homosexuality. However, the Office does
not consider that the organisation of such a competition is per se a
violation of human rights. Nevertheless, the Office notes that those
of the competition�s topics that associate homosexuality with Satanism
and characterise it as a sign of societal degeneration promote
intolerance in Latvia.

The Office stated that if a society becomes less tolerant towards a
particular group of people, those people�s rights could be endangered.
The Office concluded that calling homosexuals �degenerates� is a
violation of human rights: the right to expression does not protect Mr
Garda�s statements and he has also overstepped the limits of ethical
norms.

The Office referred to case law of the European Court of Human Rights
which identifies a person�s sexual orientation as a part of that
person�s private life. References were also made to recent
developments within the European Union to fight discrimination on
grounds of sexual orientation and Latvia�s obligation to implement EU
anti-discrimination standards. The Office stated that Latvia cannot
ignore its international obligations, isolate itself and introduce its
own standards. The Office also drew attention to the 1991 decision of
the World Health Organisation to delete homosexuality from the
classification of mental illnesses and made it clear that Latvia
should not make its own innovations.

The Office stated that every person�s right to privacy should be
respected and that tolerance should be promoted within society, this
being an important guarantee of the observance of human rights. The
Office pointed out that there is only one step from intolerance to
discrimination.

The Office further touched upon the issue of how human rights
violations can be remedied in Latvia. The Office referred to Article
158 of the Latvian Criminal Law, which provides that a person may be
held criminally responsible if that person disseminates humiliating
and offensive material. However, that Article relates more
particularly to a situation where an individual person�s honour and
respect have been undermined. The Office also noted that cases of such
a nature very rarely receive the courts� consideration. The Office
noted that current legislation and practice do not provide effective
remedy for similar cases where a group of persons seek to sue a person
for undermining their honour and respect.

The Office stated that, in any event, people who feel offended can
submit a complaint to the Office, but pointed out once again that the
Office�s opinions are not legally binding and can only resolve
disputes by way of amicable settlement.

During the last few days the Office has received a number of
complaints from lesbians and gay men concerning the competition
organised by Vieda.

Vieda and its Director Mr Garda reacted extremely hysterically, with
an outpouring of offensive comments regarding the Latvian National
Human Rights Office and its Director Mr Bruvers personally. Their main
slogan was �Latvia is the only country is the world where
non-homosexuals are persecuted.�

Anti-gay crusade is joined by �human rights� MPs

The latest, and even more disturbing, development is that three
members of the Latvian Parliament, Mr Peteris Tabuns (Secretary of the
Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights and Public Affairs), Mr Juris
Vidins and Mr Janis Leja (both members of the Parliamentary Commission
on Human Rights and Public Affairs) have released a statement in
support of the �just� fight against homosexuality.

They referred to the discussion around Vieda�s competition and stated
that expression of one�s opinion cannot be considered a violation of
human rights. In the MPs� view opinions regarding fundamental issues
can differ, but then one view will be based upon a lie. The MPs stated
that they categorically oppose �unlimited dissemination� of
�pederasty� (this is how the MPs refer to homosexuality), pornography,
drug abuse and alcoholism being regarded as an achievement in terms of
human rights.

They stated that �pederasty� has always been and remains a deviation
from normal human development and that its occurrence therefore
deserves pity and sympathy, but does not deserve support, promotion or
propaganda for this abnormality in the mass media, schools or public
bodies of any kind. In their view it is absurd to regard tolerance of
such a �mental deformity� as a sign of civilised and modern society of
the 21st century.

The further stated that they support those young people who take a
firm stand against any �slackness�, including �pederasty�. They called
upon healthy-thinking members of society to take even firmer steps and
to be united in eliminating further dissemination of �pederasty� and
other forms of mental deformity and degeneration.

The MPs stated that �pederasty� promotes the spread of AIDS, a
decreasing birth-rate, the break-up of families, and the deterioration
of society�s spiritual and physical health.

Reaction of the Latvian lesbian and gay community

Latvian lesbian and gay organisations have sent a letter of protest to
the three members of Parliament who released this statement, calling
on them to quit their work in the Commission, and a letter addressed
to the Parliament and to the Parliamentary Human Rights and Public
Affairs Commission demanding that these MPs be excluded from the work
of the Commission. The letter expressed disbelief and shock that
persons working to protect human rights could allow such statements of
hate which absolutely contradict the ideals of human rights and
tolerance.

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