Riga Under Siege

As many of you know, Eric's family is from Latvia. This small Baltic country suffered greatly throughout history and turns 15 this year with its (newest) independence with the fall of the USSR.

Last weekend, Mozaika, an umbrella gay rights group, put on Latvia's second pride parade. They were denied a pride parade permit by the Riga city council, a ban that was upheld by a higher court in Latvia. This is in clear violation of EU principles ... what's more it opened the door for attacks and slurs on GLBT people (who met instead in a private hotel). Anti-gay protestors hurled rocks, eggs and excrement with hardly a slap on the wrist.

Blue-Style-Canopy is thinking of ways to respond.