Latvia Elects First Openly Gay President in the Baltics

Latvia has elected its first openly gay president, Edgars Rinkevics, who is also the first openly gay head of state in the European Union. Rinkevics, a center-right politician who has served as foreign minister for more than a decade, came out in 2014 and pledged to fight for a legal framework for same-sex marriage, which remains illegal in Latvia. His election was celebrated by gay rights activists across Europe and highlights the widening gulf between Latvia and Russia, where attitudes toward LGBTQ people have become increasingly intolerant.