Latvia recognizes same-sex partnerships

Two men kiss as they walk through the streets of Riga, Latvia, during the Europride 2015 parade of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on June 20, 2015. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

RIGA — Latvia will allow heterosexual and same-sex couples to register their partnerships under a law that took effect Monday, a move welcomed by LGBTQ campaigners.

The law grants registered partners equal rights in managing their households, offers tax and social security benefits, and allows for emergency hospital visits.

It is the first time same-sex couples have been granted legal recognition in Latvia.

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“The introduction of the partnership law is an important signal that all families in Latvia are protected, valued, and recognized,” Kaspars Zalitis, head of the Partners for Life advocacy group for LGBTQ rights, said in a statement.

“This long-awaited moment will positively change the lives of many people,” he said.

Gay and lesbian marriages were outlawed by Latvian lawmakers in 2005 after a proposal by right-wing and populist politicians.

But attitudes have been changing. Last year, Latvia made history when it swore in President Edgars Rinkevics, the first openly gay head of state of any EU country.

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The first partnership under the new law was signed just minutes after midnight at the National Library.

Amid a cheering crowd, Russian-born Maksims and Latvian-born Janis exchanged silver rings and drank champagne to celebrate their recognition.

“Congratulations to you both, who are the very, very first in Latvia to show that everybody has human rights to be happy in their relationship,” Justice Minister Inese Libina-Egnere said at the ceremony.

“This was a long road for the right steps to be taken. Congratulations to all of those who worked towards these changes!” Rinkevics wrote on X.

Latvia’s proposal for partnership rights was initially controversial but received a boost in 2020 when the Catholic archbishop Zbignevs Stankevics voiced his support.

That same year, Latvia’s highest court ruled that unmarried couples were entitled to state recognition.

The new civil partnerships do not offer the same legal terms as marriages however.

They are registered only at a public notary — not in the registers kept by religious or civil authorities.

The partnerships also do not allow for inheritances or the right to adopt children.

Estonia, Latvia’s northern neighbor, has recognized same-sex civil unions since 2016 and same-sex marriage since 2023, while fellow Baltic state Lithuania has not recognized either statutes.