Latvia embraces change with first legal same-sex partnership
Starting Monday, same-sex partnerships are permitted to register in Latvia. The first such couple was Maksims Ringo and Janis Locs, who formalised their union just after midnight.
Following a suitable ceremony in a law office in the historic centre of Riga, the couple exchanged silver rings at a reception held in the city's main library.
"We are together for five and a half years … so for us, it’s mostly practical," said Ringo.
5 EU countries without partnerships
Since 2005, the Latvian constitution has defined marriage as a union allowed only between men and women. However, in November of last year, the Latvian parliament voted to adopt legal provisions regarding same-sex partnerships formally.
Partners in such a union have the right to hospital visits, and their tax and social security issues are also adjusted to their advantage. However, they cannot adopt children and must contend with inheritance issues.
The implementation of the new regulations in Latvia means that currently, people in same-sex partnerships cannot officially register in only five EU countries: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
