Latvian foreign minister denies ‘hidden agenda’ behind coming out
Latvia’s foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics has rebuffed claims that his decision to come out as gay was motivated by a “hidden agenda”.
The influential Latvian politician made a muted announcement last week, simply writing on Twitter: “I proudly announce I am gay… Good luck all of you…”
In a second tweet, Rinkevics in Latvian vowed to campaign to allow “all partnerships” to be recognised by the Latvian Government, saying he “will fight for” it.
The revelation has caused waves in Latvian politics, as the Eastern European country still denies basic rights to LGBT people – including adoption, marriage and civil partnerships.
According to the Baltic Times, Mr Rinkevics said in a radio interview last night: “I have heard about various compromising theories, but I can assure you that there is no hidden agenda.
“I do not believe that something fundamental should change in people’s attitude toward me or other people.
“It is time for us to be more open and honest – believe me that such decisions are not easy to make and can take a long time.
“I contemplated all the positive and negative consequences that may arise due to my decision, and decided that it is better to be honest and to speak frankly, as well as to urge a discussion about these matters, including registration of partnerships, which is a complicated topic.”
