RUSSIA: Russian gay activists split after plan to stage first gay parade in Moscow is blocked by the authorities

Record ID: 278059

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian gay activists split after plan to stage first gay parade in Moscow is blocked by the authorities
  • Date: 25th May 2006
  • Summary: PEOPLE ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7HR83U0Z5LT44NX0L05ITDSZ
  • Story Text: A plan to hold a gay parade in Moscow on Saturday (May 26) has been blocked by the city authorities. The debate over Russia's first ever gay parade has served to highlight the issue of gay rights in a country that remains largely homophobic.
    In Moscow, the debate over the parade has been greeted either by outright hostility or calls for responsible action by those promoting gay rights.
    "These gays want to have their own way of life; what I would do is to send them all to an uninhabited island, and tell them to live as they like. But they wouldn't want that, they would all go mad there. They are just parasites on the healthy body of our state," said Valentin, 62, a Moscow resident.
    Valery, a 19-year-old student, said a gay parade would only play into the hands of extremists, who would use the event to wage violence across the Russian capital.
    "The gay parade won't look very nice; of course we should have freedom in our country. But there would be so many problems in the city as a result of this (a gay parade), because there are so many right-wing elements here, like skinheads, and other groups and people who are against it. And they all can rise up against it and there would trouble in the city. That is why I want it cancelled," he said.
    The Moscow city government has banned the march, calling it an "outrage to society" and right-wing extremists have promised to attack marchers.
    But some gay rights activists plan to ignore the official ban on the march through Moscow this weekend, despite warnings from some within their community that it will only serve to whip up prejudice in widely homophobic Russia.
    Nikolai Alexeyev, organiser of the gay festival that will culminated in Saturday's march, said it would show Russians the homosexual community is not a threat to society, and is only demanding equal rights as other citizens.
    "We (gays in Russia) got no rights basically that are given to people in other countries, to gays in other countries. And I think the time came to go out, and to say that we want equal rights. You see we are paying taxes as all the other citizens; we have obligations, and we are following our obligations according to the law and we are supposed to get the same rights as all the other citizens, and this is what the authorities should understand," said Alexeyev, 28.
    But in a culture where church leaders lump homosexuality together with murder and violence, and where skinheads try to storm gay clubs, other gays said those promoting a parade had only served to divide their own community.
    "The goal they (those activists for a gay parade) have reached is the opposite: there is now no unity among gays and lesbians in this country. There is unity against this parade and maybe this is the only positive thing. Secondly, the level of homophobia has increased, and thirdly the authorities are also extremely homophobic, and they treat with this mindset all initiatives by gays and lesbians. Fourthly, the idea in general for a gay parade has been killed at the outset, and I don't think it will be possible in the city over the next four or five years, because everyone will remember this case as a precedent. That's what has been achieved by those who wanted this parade; how can one support such an initiative?," said Ed Mishin, founder of Russia's Queer magazine, the www.gayrussia.ru site and a shop of gay-linked merchandise.
    He added the fact that skinhead groups who have previously targeted foreigners were now planning attacks on gay clubs was a sign that the march had backfired.
    In a discussion of gay rights on the state-controlled NTV channel last week, Alexeyev sparred with an Orthodox priest who said southeast Asia was hit by the tsunami and New Orleans was flooded because they tolerated gays.
    "People are talking a lot here about rights; as far as I understand the main right that a person has is the right to life. It is clear that God gives us life, and his point of view on homosexuality is known. There are three unforgivable sins for which God destroys entire peoples and nations completely: murder, homosexuality, and black magic. Sodom and Gomorrah were erased from the face of the earth; Phuket Island was flooded by Tsunami, New Orleans was flooded because by a hurricane because they were preparing a gay parade. Why do you hate Moscow so much, and why do you want Moscow to be turned into sea of filth? why do you want the destruction of our entire people," said Father Daniil Sysoyev, during the debate on NTV's "To The Barrier" programme.
    Alexeyev believes such publicity to be useful, and would get Russians used to the fact that gays were living among them.
    For the moment though, many in Russia's gay community prefer to keep a low profile, hoping that with time attitudes will eventually change towards them, in a society where homosexuality was only decriminalised 13 years ago.

    CIVIL RIGHTS DISCRIMINATION GAY RIGHTS LIFESTYLES
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