[JURIST] The unicameral Latvian parliament [official website] Thursday overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, effectively blocking the recognition of same-sex marriage [advocacy website press release]. The amendment infuriatedLatvian gay rights activists [advocacy website press release] who are considering taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Latvia [government website], a recent member to the European Union, is known as a progressive democracy, but many people there maintain a conservative view of the family. European nations such as Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have legalized same-sex marriage in the last five years, while Britain passed a law permitting same-sex civil partnerships earlier this month. Reuters has more.