Latvian parliament sends bill on two genders to committees for review

Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, voted on Thursday to send a proposed constitutional amendment drafted by the opposition party "Latvia First" (LPV) to parliamentary committees for further review. The amendment seeks to establish in the constitution that only two genders exist — man and woman.

Forty-two lawmakers from the United List, the National Alliance, the Union of Greens and Farmers, LPV, and both former and current members of the "For Stability" faction voted in favor of forwarding the bill. Twenty-five MPs from New Unity and the Progressives voted against it, while National Alliance MP Roberts Ķipurs abstained.

New Unity pushes back

Edmunds Jurēvics, leader of the New Unity faction, spoke strongly against the initiative, urging colleagues not to support what he described as an unnecessary constitutional change, arguing the question of gender is self-evident and does not need to be written into the constitution. He also pointed to the coalition agreement, which states that partners will not advance constitutional amendments without unanimous agreement within the coalition — an agreement signed by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs.

Following the vote, Jurēvics publicly called on Kulbergs to affirm his commitment to the coalition agreement's principles, including not amending the constitution and preserving judicial independence. He warned that the parliamentary majority was following what he called a dangerous provocation aimed at a nonexistent problem, risking social division, and drew a parallel to last year's vote on withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention.

LPV's rationale

LPV's proposal would have the state recognize only two genders — man and woman — and protect the status of mothers and fathers while rejecting artificially constructed family forms, alongside defining marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman. The party says the initiative aims to protect children's right to a clear biological origin and to ensure the reliability of state registries, in line with what it calls society's traditional and Christian values.

Amending Latvia's constitution requires a sitting attended by at least two-thirds of Saeima members, with the change adopted through three readings, each requiring a two-thirds majority of those present.