Latvia 7th nation to be led by an openly gay head of state

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Latvia swore in the first openly gay president of a Baltic nation Saturday.

Edgars Rinkēvičs, who since 2011 served as the country’s foreign minister, was elected by parliament in May after the incumbent president, Egils Levits, did not seek re-election.

Rinkēvičs is known for being a strong supporter of Ukraine’s cause, and in his inaugural speech he reaffirmed that commitment.

“Russia’s war and genocide in Ukraine have created a new, harsh reality,” Rinkēvičs said. “We will continue to support the heroic Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom until Ukraine’s final victory. We will continue to fight against Russian imperialism and its evil world ideology.”

Rinkēvičs “proudly” announced he is gay on Twitter in November 2014, though the country, a former Soviet republic, is not especially LGBTQ-inclusive. The country allows for same-sex civil unions, for example, but not same-sex marriages.

Hours before coming out, Rinkēvičs tweeted that he would continue to fight for “a legal framework for all kinds of partnerships.” He said he knew there would be “mega hysteria,” but ended with the hashtag “#Proudtobegay.”