Gays in Russia face backlash, plan protests

Club attacked
The belief that being gay is a deviancy is even embraced by major media outlets. Aleksei Pushkov, an anchor with TV Center — a channel run by Moscow mayor Luzhkov — broadcast a story asserting that homosexuals are less capable of complex thinking than heterosexuals and are thus intellectually inferior.      

And then there is an unlikely coalition of young thugs and conservative Christians lined up against homosexuals.

Last month several hundred protesters — including skinheads, nationalists and religious protesters — massed in front of a Moscow club where organizers had advertised an "Open Party" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Many of the protesters shouted threats and angry slogans — including "No perverts here" — and threw bottles, rocks and eggs. Meanwhile, elderly women and orthodox priests displayed Russian Orthodox icons.

Some of the protesters reportedly beat at least one person attempting to attend the party and when police eventually arrived and the club was evacuated, people leaving the building were hit by stones and other objects.

The following night, at least 100 protesters targeted another gay club in Moscow, shouting abuse and smashing the windows of nearby cars. Police arrested 39 protesters, charging most with minor offenses against public order.

Fighting back
Following the April attacks, gay activists said they were launching a campaign to fight homophobia.

In particular, they announced plans to stage the first international gay and lesbian festival in Russia, slated for May 24-28. The event will feature exhibitions, seminars and conferences, including one by Oscar Wilde's grandson Merlin Holland. A centerpiece would be the May 27 march, to be held exactly 13 years after the criminal prosecution for homosexuality in Russia was abolished.

Nikolai Alekseev, head of GayRussia, is organizing Moscow’s gay pride festival in cooperation with the International Day Against Homophobia Organization (IDAHO), created by Louis-Georges Tin, a French expert in the issue of homophobia.  They expect delegates from 40 countries to take part, including politicians from France and Germany.

In compliance with Russian law, the application for the parade was submitted 14 days in advance, and a decision is usually issued within 72 hours. As of Tuesday, Moscow's City Hall had not responded to the parade request and declined to comment on the application.

Determined to have their say
Whether the city approves the parade or not, gay activists say they are determined to having their voices heard.

Alekseev, the organizer of the proposed parade, says his organization is contemplating a series of unauthorized events if the proposed parade is stalled.

"Since this is a human rights issue, we will hold pickets and flash mobs in downtown Moscow to show the authorities how serious this is,” said Alekseev, adding that Russia's gay movement will surely take the city government to court if the ban on the parade is upheld.

"And we're ready to pursue this right up to the European court, if we have to,” said Alekseev.

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