January 29, 2021
Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia
Members of the 13th Saeima
In November of last year, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia issued a ruling protecting the rights of same-sex couples, holding that the state has the duty to protect and support all families. This was not new to us, dual citizens of the United States and Latvia, because much of the policy in the United States pertaining to same-sex couples derives from rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has held in multiple cases in recent years that discriminatory treatment of LGBT individuals violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The American public mostly accepted these U.S. Supreme Court rulings, including leading conservatives. Former U.S. president Donald Trump has said that he considers equal treatment of same-sex couples a “settled issue.” As is widely known, President Biden’s administration has adopted a very progressive view on LGBT issues.
We now react with concern over news that forces in Saeima are trying to overturn the Latvian Supreme Court ruling with a constitutional amendment. The nation of Latvia, which also includes many Latvian citizens living in the U.S., continues to develop and further integrate into modern, democratic Western society. We believe that the outdated and discriminatory treatment of the LGBT community will not help Latvia’s position in the international community. The proposed amendment to the Constitution will not help to increase foreign investment, and will hinder economic development, because, as is widely known, the majority of modern-day entrepreneurs and socially conscious businesses actively take a stance against discrimination by race or gender.
The American Latvian Association mission includes supporting Latvia’s efforts to maintain democracy, justice, and security. Consistent with our values, we urge the Saeima to reconsider voting to amend the 110th Article of the Constitution for the purpose of stating that “a family is a union between a man and a woman.”
We invite Saeima deputies to reject this initiative, which we believe reflects an outdated, narrow-minded view. Let the decision of the Latvian Supreme Court stand and acknowledge this as a “settled issue.”
On behalf of the American Latvian Association,
Pēteris Blumbergs, President