ISRAEL: Israel's gay community protests against anti-gay discrimination and violence in Russia

Record ID: 397856

  • Title: ISRAEL: Israel's gay community protests against anti-gay discrimination and violence in Russia
  • Date: 10th August 2013
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (AUGUST 10, 2013) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) MEMBERS OF THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY AT PROTEST CHANTING, HOLDING SIGN READING IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN: 'LOVE IS NOT A CRIME' PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS AGAINST RUSSIAN ANTI-GAY LAW SIGN READING IN ESPERANTO: 'INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY' VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS PLAYING PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (English)
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9XE0BIY4NBIJ504A4ABEV215
  • Story Text: Gay and lesbian community members rallied outside the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday (August 11) in protest against a Russian anti-gay propaganda law that has attracted international condemnation as the world athletics championships kick off in Moscow.
    Clutching banners bearing slogans such as "'Love is not a crime" and rainbow flags, protesters called for a change in the policy that has attracted criticism from world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama.
    Amnon Wanfenstein, a protest organiser said demonstrators were demanding justice for Russia's gay community.
    "We are here to demand justice and human rights, for the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) community in Russia, that right now, Putin does just not give it to them," said Wanfenstein.
    "Being gay is a human right, you are free to be whoever you want to be and your government should protect you, and if somebody is being harmed openly or even oppressed in any sort of way, the government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and Russia is not upholding its responsibilities to its gay citizens, and it's a human rights violation, so that's why we're here," said another protester, U.S. national Elise Whitehen.
    Critics of the anti-propaganda law have said it effectively disallows all gay rights rallies and could be used to prosecute anyone voicing support for homosexuals.
    The law, as well as a ban on adoptions of children by same-sex couples, are part of a more conservative course taken by President Vladimir Putin on social issues since his return to the Kremlin in May, 2012.
    On Friday (August 9), Olympic president Jacques Rogge asked Russia to explain how the country will implement the law in detail ahead of next year's Sochi Winter Olympics.
    Internationally, over 350,000 people have signed an online petition calling on world leaders and Russian politicians to push for a repeal of anti-gay laws and to protect citizens from violence and discrimination.
    Gays bars in the United States and other countries began boycotting Russian vodka earlier this month in protest at the laws.
    Israeli bartender, Imri Calman, said his bar had joined the international boycott of Russian-made products in a show of solidarity with the gay community.
    "We decided not to sell anymore any products that come from Russia, we don't buy it and we don't sell it, also to say to our, to the people that bring us the alcohol, and also to our customers, that we are not participating in Russia's new rules," said Calman.
    The call for discarding Russian vodka was sparked in response to anti-gay violence in Russia, including the torture and killing of a 23 year old man earlier in May who according to Russian investigators became a target after he revealed his homosexuality to a friend.
    There are no official figures on anti-gay crime in Russia, but an online poll in 2012 showed 15 percent of about 900 gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender respondents reported to have been physically attacked at least once in the previous year.
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