#11 Being a Gay Expat in Latvia. How Gay Is It?
Latvia is often dubbed the second-worst country in the European Union (EU) to be LGBTQ. Although you cannot discriminate against gay people in employment or housing (thanks EU!), Latvia has yet to introduce marriage equality (spoiler alert: we are far from it), and the parliament Saeima cannot get their cr*p together to even legalize some sort of a civil unionship mechanism that would grant some of the rights that are accessible to married heterosexual couples.
There’s also widespread societal discrimination towards queer people of all kind. We could say that a 2022 Latvia can be compared to the US of late 90s or early 2000s, with a handful of openly out celebrities and politicians. Furthermore, only 16% of the society are In favor of same-sex marriage (with 77% opposing). When asked, whether “Homosexuality should be accepted by society“, only a fifth responded with “Yes“.
One would think that it’s better to pack your bags and leave to at the very least the neighboring Estonia.
Majority of the time, that’s what happens. But the situation seems to change as there’s the success story of Frankie. As a gay American, Frankie happily moved to Latvia in early 2022 being completely aware of the risks that may come with that.
Frankie met Jurgis in early 2019, while studying together in Wisconsin, US. In early 2022, they decided to start building a life together in Riga, Latvia, after Frankie got the chance to visit the Northeastern European country for a few times in 2019 and 2021, securing a job in the ever-evolving field of human resources and recruitment.
In the picture (from the left) - Jurgis, Frankie, Ieva
Having found a good friends circle, an inclusive employer, and a loving family, in the latest PROPAGANDA episode, Frankie shares his experiences and feelings of navigating life in Latvia as a gay expat.
As it is mentioned multiple times during the episode, although while being gay in Latvia is not as dangerous as it was 15 or even 10 years ago, there are quite a few obstacles that put queer people in a considerably lower socioeconomic standing than the rest of the society. This, for instance, can relate to mental health issues that queer individuals are disproportionally affected by due to societal discrimination and stigmatisation that can lead to a higher likelihood of emotional distress, depression and anxiety. For trans individuals it can relate to the stress and extra costs of having to transition with no public support or funding. The list can go on and on…
For Frankie - due to not being able to be legally recognized as Jurgis’ life partner, there are many additional costs that come with being legally a random immigrant. Currently Frankie is able to reside in Latvia on a temporary residence permit, provided by his employer. The permit needs to be renewed every year, costing over 100$. Furthermore, despite being Jurgis’ partner, not having the ability to register their partnership, simply transferring money for more than 1400$ in TOTAL a year comes with a tax of 23%.
The most frustrating thing is that all these issues can be easily solved by introducing some minor legislative changes. We as activists are pretty much aware of each specific clause in all relevant laws that should be updated to even out the playing field for queer individuals in Latvia.
It’s not about giving someone extra privilege, it’s about leveling the playing field.
All that’s missing is political acknowledgment and the societal awareness/pressure (with all three going hand in hand). For this reason, it is crucial to ensure continuous representation of LGBTQ+ individuals and the problems they face on daily basis. If the government doesn’t know a need exists — doesn’t realize that a certain population is in need of enhanced services in a specific area — it can’t meet that need.
Representation and awareness-raising is the main objective of Safe Space (and PROPAGANDA). For this reason…
We would greatly appreciate if you supported our efforts with a symbolic donation to Safe Space.
Click on the Donate button below to make a donation! Our email address associated with the PayPal system is info@safespace.lv. You can also choose to donate with your card.
A donation of anywhere between 20$ to 50$ will go a long way in keeping the fire burning!
Your donation will allow us to
upkeep the Safe Space office as it serves not only as a studio, but also is used as a community gathering space by LGBTQ+ folks,
cover licensing costs of our communication channels (e.g. website maintenance, podcast hosting),
spread the word outside Riga by visiting schools across Latvia.
Thank you! ❤
Podcast PROPAGANDA is possible thanks to the EEA and Norway Grants that are funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and administered by the grant program “Active Citizens Fund“ in Latvia.
The Grants have two goals – to contribute to a more equal Europe, both socially and economically – and to strengthen the relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and the 15 beneficiary countries in Europe.
