Latvia's first same-sex couple registered their partnership on Monday (July 1) shortly after midnight, when a new law came into force. The Latvian parliament voted last November to formally legislate same-sex civil unions, allowing partners in such a partnership to have hospital visiting rights, as well as giving some tax and social security benefits.

Riga

Latvia's first same-sex couple registered their partnership shortly after a new law came into force. Maxim's Ringo and Janis Lox became the first couple to officially register their partnership at a legal office in Riga. The pair later celebrated by exchanging silver rings at a party, expressing hopes for gold rings should same-sex marriage become legal in Latvia.

The new law, passed by the Latvian parliament last November, grants same-sex couples hospital visiting rights along with some tax and social security benefits. However, Lox expressed both excitement and stress about being among the first to partake in this legal recognition.

Despite this legislative progress, homosexuality remains a divisive issue in Latvia. In 2005, the constitution was amended to define marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman. Gay rights activist Kaskoz Zalitis highlighted remaining challenges, including inheritance rights, recognition of foreign-registered partnerships, and issues concerning children in same-sex families.

Zalitis noted that notary offices are currently experiencing an influx of same-sex couples eager to register their partnerships. Latvia's legislative change leaves only five EU countries without civil union registration for same-sex couples: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.



First same-sex couple registers partnership in Latvia

Maxim's Ringo and Janis Lox became the first same-sex couple in Latvia to register their partnership on Monday. This landmark moment followed a new law which came into force at midnight. After the event, at a legal office in the capital Riga, the couple exchanged silver rings at a party. They said they hoped to get gold rings if and when Latvia legalises same-sex marriage. Lox told Reuters he was happy that the government are recognising that their partnership exists. I feel excited, kind of emotional about it as well, because it is for us a really big step and not only for us, for the country itself and being first, it's all the publicity that comes with it as well, it kind of is a bit, I would say a bit stressful, but in the same time, I feel happy that we can finally do it. Homosexuality remains a divisive topic in Latvia. In 2005, legislators changed the constitution to define marriage as only allowed between a man and a woman, but the Latvian parliament voted last November to formally legislate same-sex civil unions. This allowed people in such a partnership to have hospital visiting rights as well as giving some tax and social security benefits. But gay rights activist Kaskoz Zalitis says same-sex couples still face some hurdles. The key things that are still missing are first an inheritance issue, that is a difficult issue to solve as it requires large legislative changes. So nothing is done regarding the recognition of the same-sex couples that have been registered abroad and obviously there is no issues tackled regarding the children that live in the same-sex families. He said notary offices are now facing queues of same-sex couples who want to register their relationship as quickly as possible. The change in Latvia means there are now only five EU countries where people in same-sex relationships cannot register civil unions – Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

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