Russia's first gay parade vetoed by 'outraged' city

[schoolboi]

Russia's first gay parade vetoed by 'outraged' city
By Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Feb 17, 2006, 13:24


(Independent News and Media) - Plans to stage Russia's first gay pride parade
have been vetoed by Moscow's city government on the grounds that the idea has
caused "outrage" in society.

Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's administration said yesterday it would not even consider an
application for a parade, prompting Russia's gay community to threaten legal
action in the European Court of Human Rights.

Gay and lesbian activists have been campaigning for permission to stage the
country's first gay pride event on Saturday 27 May.

The date marks the 13th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in
Russia in 1993. But the plans have drawn a furious reaction from religious
leaders and been condemned as "suicidal" by other gay activists .

Earlier this week Chief Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin warned that Russia's Muslims
would stage violent protests if the march went ahead. "If they come out on to
the streets anyway they should be flogged. Any normal person would do that -
Muslims and Orthodox Christians alike ... [The protests] might be even more
intense than protests abroad against those controversial cartoons."
The cleric said the Koran taught that homosexuals should be killed because their
lifestyle spells the extinction of the human race and said that gays had no
human rights.

The Russian Orthodox Church has called it "the propaganda of sin". Bishop Daniil
of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk yesterday condemned the plans as a "cynical mockery" and
likened homosexuality to leprosy.

The mayor's spokesman, Sergei Tsoi, said a parade would not be allowed. "[The
plans] have caused outrage in society, particularly among religious leaders," he
said.

In the Communist era Russian homosexuals were jailed for five years and their
"condition" was classed as a mental disorder. In post-Soviet Russia public
acceptance of homosexuality has been glacial. An opinion poll last year showed
43 per cent of Russians believed gay men should be incarcerated.

Nikolai Alekseev, head of GayRussia.Ru and one of the parade organisers, said
banning such meetings was a criminal offence. He said the organisers were
considering going to the European Court of Human Rights. Preparations will
continue and an official application will be made in May.

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[SolInvictus]

Yikes - given the previous regime was supposed to atheistic (Soviet-era Russia), it is surprising that Russian culture is so homophobic. Russian LGBT are in my prayers.

[NathanATX]

I think it's interesting how comfortable the religious leaders are in being so disgustingly homophobic...

I bet that most American fundamentalists would be as virulent if it was more acceptable in our country for them to do so.

It's what "isn't said."

[Vanessa White]

Is it actually true that the Koran states that homosexuals should be killed? THat scares me for the people there, let alone what seems to be the hateful attitude of many of the Russian people. ANd, I wonder if they can really have a true sense of what people's opinions of it are? Is it possible that even if many of the citizens of that country are not homophobic, or do have some acceptance, that they are afraid to say so? I would imagine that is a good possibility. I have yet again, a new found appreciation for my ability to at least express who I am most of the time without feeling such intense hatred and loathing. I give them all of the credit in the world, if they end up marching anyway. Vanessa

[schoolboi]

I don't know about the Koran, but the the Bible says we should according to a literal interpretation of Leviticus.

[Jamie McDaniel]

Originally Posted by schoolboi

I don't know about the Koran, but the the Bible says we should according to a literal interpretation of Leviticus.

Excellent point/reminder schoolboi. When Christians condemn violence in other religious books, we often forget the violence in the Bible.

I recently purchased another Bible, this being the paraphrase "The Message." After reading Genesis, I think we could use alot less "I believe the Bible" rhethoric and a little more critique of our holy scriptures in Christendom. Questions like, do I think this part is historicial, is this a core teaching, what does this story teach me about God's character, are the actions of God's people in this passage to be condemned even if they are condoned in the text.

As the world seems to be suffering under a fundamentalist resurgence, we need more people of faith from all religions who are willing to unapologetically proclaim, "You have either read or heard [insert bad religious teaching here], but I'm telling you that God's heart desires [insert good religious teaching here]."