the Russian Connection

[keltic63]

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?aid=809

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On the first day of July, Satender Singh was gay-bashed to death. The 26-year-old Fijian of Indian descent was enjoying a holiday weekend outing at Lake Natoma with three married Indian couples around his age. Singh was delicate and dateless — two facts that did not go unnoticed by a party of Russian-speaking immigrants two picnic tables away.

Recent encounters online with some folks of Russian descent have caused me to do a little research into the connection of homophobia to this particular culture. I found this article to be sad, and an indication of the problem that has spread here to the US.

[Vanessa White]

This is a sad situation, as well as very frightening for those that are exposed to the hatred and violence of word and deed in a very direct way. My question: How do we reach those that are originally from other nations, and therefore may have their ideas more deeply ingrained, even feeling justified in their violence? It seems like it might almost be like being a rep. from the UN or a diplomat of some sort.....

[tdogg]

This was a major deal here in Sac. The young man killed was talented, intelligent, kind and gentle, and yes gay. This incident followed talks between the Slovic evangelicals and GLBT in the community to try and reach a crossroads of some sort, considering the increase in violence against GLBT by this group. Talks have not really accomplished anything, but angering some of the Slovic evangels.

One of the perps is in custody and being tried on a hate crime. The other is a fugitive, believed to be hiding somewhere in Eastern Europe. This is just another example of why a federal hate crimes bill is NECESSARY and why we must continue to speak out on this issue.

A young man destined to be something, had his life taken from him much too early. An entire community reels with the effects. It's been an extremely sad event and it's not over. The Slovic evangels have at least quieted down a bit. In 2006 they showed up in significant numbers protesting our gay pride parade and event. So this year there was a fairly good police presence, but there were very few protesters.

[antiochian]

A Russian Orthodox priest once told me that Slavic cultures do tend to be very homophobic. I don't know much about it, although I supposedly have some Polish descent. But I was told a Russian family would probably kill one of it's own if that person came out as gay, lesbian, etc. There's an extreme amount of shame connected to homo/bi/transsexuality.

The hatred on the faces of those protestors just freaks me out. And these dudes are Christian?? Wish Jesus would pay them a visit and give 'em a kick in the ass (in a nice & nonviolent way, of course).

[dsdrane]

I have two gay friends -- a couple -- who are making plans to leave their home in Riga, Latvia, because of the homophobic climate there. One is of 100% Latvian descent, but born here in the U.S.; the other is a Canadian national. Both have lived in Latvia now for over 10 years, are fluent in Latvian (no small task, believe you me), have rather high-powered jobs, and have been very out as a couple both privately and publically (and were recently married in Canada).

They made a commitment to and an investment in Latvia at a time when it was struggling to remove the yoke of Soviet rule. They've both worked hard in their respective roles to actively be a part of the change occurring in post-Soviet Eastern Europe, but the climate has become frightening enough that they feel they need to abandon ship.

It makes me very sad -- not only for them, but also for a society that spits out some of its best and brightest. It's a tremendous shame.

[Emproph]

I've been keeping a sporadic eye on this too lately. Thanks for the splcenter article keltic, that's a good one-stop-shop for all the background info. BoxTurtleBulletin has been covering the latest escapades of these Watchmen as well.

The Watchmen In Riga, Part 1: “Become A Missionary To America”
Scott Lively announces his move to Springfield, Massachusetts, and invites the world to join him as "missionaries to America."

Jim Burroway
November 26th, 2007

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/11/26/1040

So far there are three parts. Links are at the bottom of the article.

These guys are ugly ugly. But there's an interesting loop of connections here that may be worth noting.

[...] Scott Lively [...] now the chief international envoy for the Watchmen movement. [...] But he's most famous as the co-author of The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party.

Got that? Same gender attraction is responsible for the Holocaust.

In addition to Lively and Robertson, Ledyaev has cultivated the support of Rev. Ken Hutcherson, the African-American founder of Antioch Bible Church, a Seattle-area megachurch. "Hutch," as the ex-NFL player is known, played a key role in persuading Microsoft to temporarily withdraw its support for a Washington bill that would have made it illegal to fire an employee for their sexual orientation.

Hutcherson is in bed with Lively, who is in bed with the Watchmen, who killed Satender Singh.

Hutcherson is also "good friends" with Alan Chambers, president of the political "ex-gay" hate group Exodus International -- the "we love you" portion of Focus on the Family's anti-gay department.

So essentially, Focus on the Family = Alan Chambers = Ken Hutcherson = Scott Lively = Watchmen = Satender Singh's death.

None of whom, to my knowledge, have denounced any of this this. Perhaps not surprisingly also because Alan Chambers, president of Exodus and affiliated with FOTF, still links to Scott Lively and the Pink Swastika, to promote the idea that gays were responsible for the Holocaust itself.

Technically one could argue that James Dobson's silence is an endorsement of Satender Singh's death.

[keltic63]

WOW Patrick, YOU are good

[antonyh]

When I was covering the murder of Satendar at Hatecrimesbill.org, I came across this video taken outside the Sacramento Slavic Church. It was a counter protest on July 9, 2006 by the LGBT community for the protests of the Slavic Christians at gay pride. The video records a threat by a church member to murder a LGBT person. One year later, Satendar was murdered.