To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), the U.S. Embassy in Riga raised the rainbow Progress Pride flag today at a ceremony that included representatives from the Latvian government, diplomatic community, and civil society.
“The United States stands with the LGBTQI+ community around the world and remains committed to equality for all people, regardless of who they are or whom they love. Democracies are stronger when the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons are protected,” said U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Christopher Robinson.
In addition to raising the Progress Pride flag, the U.S. Embassy worked in partnership with the Mozaīka NGO to display a portion of the historic one-mile-long Pride Flag created by American activist and artist Gilbert Baker in 1994 for New York City Pride. Baker designed the original rainbow flag in 1978 as a symbol of the LGBTQI+ community.
In 2022, the U.S. government released its first-ever report on the implementation of President Biden’s Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons Around the World. (More information on the report: https://www.state.gov/lgbtqi-human-rights/)
Since 2004, IDAHOBIT has been observed internationally every year to counter homophobia and raise awareness of the human rights of LGBTQI+ people.
