Gay Russia News & Reports 2010 Oct-Dec

1 Gays Demonstrate in Moscow – and Are Not Arrested 10/10

2 Russian court rules LGBT Pride parade ban ‘illegal’ 10/10

3 St. Petersburg must allow gay Pride marches, court rules 10/10

3a Как сообщают друзья Сергея Прадеда 10/10

4 III International Side by Side Film Festival Starts! 10/10

5 Gays Win Rights Case Against Russia 10/10

5a Tolerant? Of course! But keep it private 10/10

6 Closing – III Side by Side LGBT Film Festival Covered by State Russian TV 10/10

6a Mr Gay Europe Forum 2010 11/10

6b Can There Be Real Change for LGBT Rights in Moscow? 11/10

6c Administration of St. Petersburg agrees to a request 11/10

7 Russian gay activists hold first legal demonstration 11/10

8 Putin Says There Are ‘No Prohibitions’ For Gays In The Military 12/10

9 Moscow Bans Gay Rally at Lubyanka Square 12/10

9a Russia’s LGBT Project opens new website 12/10

10 Baev: War Declared on the Russian Gay Community 12/10

11 Teenagers who robbed and tortured gays now sit in jail 12/10

12 LGBT "Equality" calls for their right to freedom of assembly 12/10

13 A breakthrough in the fight for LGBT rights in Russia 12/10

October 1, 2010 – UK Gay News

1
Gays Demonstrate in Moscow – and Are Not Arrested

Moscow – Twenty Moscow gays demonstrated outside the offices of Swiss Air Lines in Moscow this afternoon, protesting the way that activist Nikolai Alekseev was treated when he was ‘abducted’ two weeks ago at Domodedovo Airport when he was about to board a flight to Geneva. The demonstration was officially sanctioned by the Moscow city authorities, which had a large police presence in the area. However, no one was arrested, though Mr. Alekseev said that he was a target of a water cannon.

Also turning up at the demonstration were anti-gay protesters and about 40 journalists and TV crew. “The police never came near me,” Mr. Alekseev told UK Gay News by telephone. “They were avoiding any direct confrontation with me. Minor scuffles broke out between the anti-gay protesters and the police and several were arrested by the OMON,” he said.

It was during the scuffles that Nikolai Baev, one of the co-organisers of Moscow Pride, was punched in the face as the OMOH pushed back protesters who were yelling homophobic abuse. Mr. Alekseev said that his group arrived by bus outside the Swiss Airlines Office. And after the 45-minute demonstration they left in the bus to avoid any confrontation.

“It was the first time that there has been an officially sanctioned gay demonstration in Moscow,” Mr. Alekseev said.

October 8, 2010 – PinkNews

2
Russian court rules LGBT Pride parade ban ‘illegal’

by Christopher Brocklebank
A Russian Judge at the Court of St Petersburg ruled on Wednesday that the ban on the city’s Pride march back in June was illegal. As reported in the column of Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev at yagg.com, this historic decision comes hot on the heels of Monday’s news concerning the Moscow Court of Appeal, who ruled that the closure last September of the oldest gay club in the Russia’s capital was illegal. The club was closed down by Moscow Prefect, Oleg Mitvol, on the grounds of "immorality".

Mr Alekseev said: "For the first time, Russian courts recognize our right to express [ourselves] freely in the streets." He added: "I want to share this moment with all those who supported us and followed us over the years. In a country which those abroad often say it is better not do anything since we cannot change minds, it’s a sign that change can happen anywhere, as long as one believes and spares no effort.

"Our right to peaceful protest has been recognised by a Russian court. It’s a small victory but the first is always the best."Next year, it is hoped that the third Slavic Pride will be held peacefully in St Petersburg.

October 12, 2010 – PinkNews

3
St. Petersburg must allow gay Pride marches, court rules

by Jessica Geen
Russia’s second-largest city, St Petersburg, must allow gay Pride marches to go ahead, the city court has ruled. As in the country’s capital, Moscow, St Petersburg authorities have repeatedly banned gay marches and refused to give organisers alternative dates. Gay campaigners wanted to hold a parade in St Petersburg last June and the city’s refusal to allow it was ruled illegal by the court. Organisers had applied for several different actions around the city in the hope that one would be permitted. The ban on another proposed action was also ruled illegal by the court.

The city court gave city authorities until November 1st to allow gay campaigners to organise an event and the city hall has said it will comply with the order, leading campaigners to believe they could soon hold the city’s first ever legal gay march.

Writing for UK Gay News, Russian gay rights leader Nikolai Alekseev said: "If the City hall respects the decision, it will be an amazing victory. "We are probably only days before the first public demo ever organised to defend and advocate for the rights of LGBT people in Russia. And this action will have to be protected by the police." He added that on Thursday, the Moscow Appeal Court is expected to hold a second hearing on the ban of this year’s Moscow Pride. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to rule on the legality of the ban shortly.

Last week, Mr Alekseev claimed a small victory against Moscow authorities as activists held the first city-sanctioned gay rally which was protected by police. They held the demonstration shortly after the sacking of homophobic city mayor Yuri Luhzkov, who consistently banned such actions.

2010 » Октябрь » 12 » – Gay.by

3a
Как сообщают друзья Сергея Прадеда

 

Вчера, 11 октября, в Минске во время акции «Сексуальная революция»
задержан активист гей-движения Сергей Прадед.

Gay.by

October 20, 2010 – Manny de Guerre

4
III International Side by Side Film Festival Starts!

Throughout the festival BOBIK will help the homeless dogs and cats of St. Petersburg. Money collected at the festival will be given to the public organization “Centre for Aid to Homeless Animals POTERYASHKA (Lost Pet)”, which takes care of homeless animals in St. Petersburg.

For more information contact:
Manny de Guerre
manny@bok-o-bok.ru
tel: +7.812.313.9341
mob: + 7.964.390.8543
www.bok-o-bok.ru

October 21, 2010 – The New York Times

5
Gays Win Rights Case Against Russia

by Reuters
Moscow (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights said on Thursday it had fined Russia for banning homosexual parades in Moscow, marking a victory for the country’s marginalized gay community. Gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev had lodged three cases with the court arguing that Russia had violated the European Convention on Human Rights, to which it subscribes as a member state of the Council of Europe. The Strasbourg-based court ruled that Russia had violated rights of assembly and had discriminated on grounds of sexual orientation. It ordered Russia to pay 29,510 euros ($41,090) to Alexeyev in damages and for legal fees.

For years authorities had denied gays permission to hold demonstrations on the grounds that they would cause a violent reaction in the country, where prejudice against gays runs deep. "The mere risk of a demonstration creating a disturbance was not sufficient to justify its ban," the court said in a statement.

Demonstrators have sometimes been beaten by police during rallies. Moscow’s ex-mayor Yuri Luzhkov called gay marches "satanic" and said the demonstrations would endanger public health and morality. "This is a crippling blow to Russian homophobia on all accounts," said Alexeyev in a statement after the verdict was announced.

The court also said the gay community’s claims were not given a fair hearing in Russia, whose constitution guarantees the right to hold demonstrations. Alexeyev has said men connected to the authorities abducted him and pressured him to drop the cases. President Dmitry Medvedev has promised repeatedly to usher in democratic ideals and policies, but rights activists and analysts say little has changed since he came to office two years ago.

Analysts are still awaiting signals over whether new Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who was approved by lawmakers for the post on Thursday, will take a softer line on gay rights.

(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman, Writing by Thomas Grove and Amie Ferris-Rotman, editing by David Stamp)

October 22, 2010 – Strasbourg Observers

5a
Tolerant? Of course! But keep it private

by Lourdes Peroni
Yesterday, the Court announced its judgment in Alekseyev v. Russia with an outcome readers can easily predict. For three years in a row, Russia banned gay marches in Moscow allegedly on safety grounds. From the statements made by the Mayor of Moscow and the Government’s observations before the Court, it was clear however that the main concern behind the ban was not exactly safety. The decisions of the Russian authorities, the Court noted, had been mainly guided by the prevailing moral values of the majority.

It is really hard to say which of the reasons advanced by the government to justify the bans is the most unacceptable. I find three of them particularly striking.

1. Tolerant as long as you keep it private
Implying that the event would involve graphic demonstrations of obscenity (of the type comparable to the exhibition in the case of Muller and Others v. Switzerland) that might have affected involuntary spectators especially children, the Russian government claimed that “any form of celebration of homosexual behavior should take place in private or in designated meeting places with restricted access.” It added that plenty of bars and clubs were available in Moscow for that purpose and went as far as listing them!

This exclusionary conception of the public space did not of course go unnoticed to the Court which understood the observation made by the government as the limits of its tolerance towards homosexual behavior. According to the Court, Russian authorities would thus reach such limit when this behavior “spilt over from the strictly private domain into the sphere shared by the general public.” The Court found it was not the attire or the behavior of the participants what was objectionable to the Russian authorities but rather “the very fact that [demonstrators] wished to openly identify themselves as gay men or lesbians, individually and as a group.” This was obvious from both the mayor’s statements and the government’s observations.

At work in the government’s stand was thus what Kenji Yoshino calls a demand to cover. Gays, he argues, “are increasingly permitted to be gay and out so long as they do not ‘flaunt’ their identities.” As he says: “Fine, be gay, but don’t shove it in our faces.” This is precisely the kind of rationale underlying the Russian government’s argument.

2. “Duty to demonstrate sensitivity to the existing public resentment of any overt manifestation of homosexuality”
Authorizing gay marches, the Russian government argued, would “breach the rights of those people whose religious and moral beliefs included a negative attitude towards homosexuality.” The Mayor of Moscow had held along the same line that “if he received a request to hold a gay parade in Moscow he would impose a ban on it because he did not want ‘to stir up society, which is ill-disposed to such occurrences of life’”

So, instead of taking proper measures to guarantee equal access to the public space and promote respect and toleration, the Russian government found no better solution than excluding the voices of a vulnerable minority for the sake of protecting the prejudices of those showing hostility and contempt toward them! This is clear from both the government’s observations before the Court and from the context within which it repeatedly refused permission to hold demonstrations. The Mayor of Moscow instructed officials to take any measures to prevent “any gay-oriented public or mass actions in the capital city” and went as far as calling for “active media-campaign and social commercials with the use of petitions brought by individuals and religious organizations.”

There were even calls for violence and incitement of offenses against march participants. But, instead of taking any action against those responsible of these calls, Russia simply opted to ban the condemned events. The Court said in this regard: “By relying on such blatantly unlawful calls as grounds for the ban, the authorities effectively endorsed the intentions of persons and organisations that clearly and deliberately intended to disrupt a peaceful demonstration in breach of the law and public order.”

The Court took the opportunity to reiterate that, if every probability of tension between opposing groups during a demonstration were to warrant its prohibition, society would thus be deprived from the opportunity to hear “differing views on any question offending the sensitivity of the majority opinion.” It would be incompatible with the Convention’s underlying values, the Court further said, if the exercise of the rights by a minority group “were made conditional on its being accepted by the majority.”

3- Lack of European consensus “as to the extent homosexuality was accepted in each country”
To justify its approach, the Russian government claimed a wide margin of appreciation in granting civil rights to people who identify themselves as gays or lesbians, invoking the lack of European consensus on issues concerning sexual minorities. Here, the Court went through the list of areas in which its case-law actually reflected long-standing European consensus. This included the abolition of criminal liability for homosexual relations between adults, access to service in the armed forces, granting of parental rights, and the right to succeed to deceased partners’ tenancy.

The Court made however clear that there remain issues around which no such consensus has been reached, e.g. granting permission to same-sex couples to adopt a child and the right to marry. States thus enjoy a wide margin of appreciation in respect to these issues. The absence of European consensus on these questions was not however relevant in the present case “because conferring substantive rights on homosexual persons is fundamentally different from recognising their right to campaign for such rights.” The Court found no “ambiguity about the other member States’ recognition of the right of individuals to openly identify themselves as gay, lesbian or any other sexual minority, and to promote their rights and freedoms, in particular by exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly.” Quite the contrary, “demonstrations similar to the ones banned in the present case are commonplace in most European countries.” The Russian government’s claim to a wide margin of appreciation was thus rejected by the Court.

In the end, the Court found that the only factor taken into account by the Moscow authorities was public opposition to the event and officials’ own views on morals. The Mayor of Moscow (whose statements were reiterated by the government) considered it necessary “to confine every mention of homosexuality to the private sphere and to force gays and lesbians out of the public eye.” The government, the Court noted, was not however able to provide any justification for such exclusion. The debate the applicant intended to launch, the Court added, “could not be replaced by the officials spontaneously expressing uninformed views which they considered popular.”

So most of the reasons given by the Russian government clearly showed it was all about the open and public identification of individuals as gays, lesbians, or any other sexual minority. By successively banning the gay marches and requiring homosexual identity to be expressed behind the doors of the private sphere, the Russian government subjected a sexual minority to a covering demand. Preventing gays and lesbians from “being militant or strident about gay rights” is, as Yoshino points, one of the forms a covering demand may take.

Almost needless to say at this point, the Court found a violation of Articles 11 and 14. I understand another case concerning the right to demonstrate to campaign for homosexual rights awaits decision from the Court. I just hope Moldova does not come up with the kind of unacceptable justification Russia put forward in ?Alekseyev.

October 26, 2010 – Manny de Guerre

6
Closing of III Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival Covered by State Russian Television

Russia’s only lesbian and gay film festival Side by Side closing award ceremony on the 23 October, 2010 took place with full attention of the countries state run television channel “Rossyia”. Over the course of two days – Sunday, 24th October and Monday, 25th October – the channel delivered neutral to positive news bulletins at prime time viewing.

Hosting this years Award Ceremony was Monna Pepperoni, a “hot Italian lady with a slight French accent” who with her flare and charm was able to turn the whole event into a glamorous show.

This years jury included photographer Serge Golovach, human rights activist Dmitry Dubrovsky and documentary film director Antoine Cattin. This year’s newly formed Bobik Award (a small daschund dog) went to four winners in the following categories:

Best Film: My Friend from Faro (Nana Neul, Germany, 87min, 2008)

Jury Statement: “For an exquisite and extremely beautiful embodiment of multifaceted relationships with loved ones, relatives and oneself.”

Best Documentary: I Shot My Love (Tomer Heymann, Israel / Germany, 70min, 2010)

Jury Statement: “For a sincere look at one’s own life and true presentation of universal problems.”

Best Short: Hammerhead (Samuel Donovan, UK, 14min, 2009)

Jury Statement: “For a witty and broad “predatory” look at the problem of jealousy and lack of love in a little man.”

Best Animation: Hand in Hand (Lasse Persson, Sweden, 4min, 1996)

Jury Statement: “For simple, light, profound and excellent example of what difference is and how it can be accepted with love.”

Audience Award: Hello, My Name is Lesbian (Iben Haahr Andersen & Minna Grooss, Denmark, 52min, 2009)

Channel Rossiya expressed dismay that this years Russian only entry Piter Moskva, directed by Dmitry Gribanoff was not among the award winners but held out hope for next year when the work by more Russian directors dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues could possibly be in the running for an award in 2011.

Reflecting on the weeks events, festival founder, Manny de Guerre: “The third Side by Side LGBT Film Festival was a complete success. All our events throughout the week were highly attended and on most occasions demand exceeded the availability of seating there being standing room only. It is obvious that the festival is in high demand among the public and a sign that next year we should hold the festival in venues with higher capacity. We endeavor to carry on with our work and are committed to repeating the kind of success in Saint Petersburg in other regions throughout Russia. This years success is a result of concerted and resilient efforts on Side by Sides part, as well as many other LGBT organizations, human rights groups and individuals working in Russia who are striving for an open and fair society.”

Photo Reportage of the Award Ceremony

Manny de Guerre
Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival
E-Mail
Tel: +7.812.313.9341
Mob+7.911.710.2702
Mob: +7.964.390.8543
Website

01 November, 2010 – MSMGF

6a
Mr Gay Europe Forum 2010

The second issue is devoted to international competition egoist gay beauty of Mr Gay Europe Forum 2010, as well as the International Festival of Queer Culture in Minsk.

Link

November 08, 2010 – Gay Rights

6b
Can There Be Real Change for LGBT Rights in Moscow?

by Michael A. Jones
Mention the name Yury Luzhkov to an international LGBT rights activist, and you’re likely to get a snarl. As mayor of Moscow since 1992, Luzhkov built up a reputation that was fiercely anti-gay. He once called gay pride marches "Satanic," and said that same-sex love was inadmissible. He essentially went so far as to say that gay activists in his city would never be able to publicly demonstrate so long as he was mayor, else they would be smacked down and arrested. And indeed, many were under his tenure.

But Luzkhov had a huge falling out with Russia’s ruling political class, and in September 2010, he was removed from office by decree of Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev. Suddenly, the man dubbed one of the most homophobic politicians in the entire world was out of a job. What does that mean for Russian LGBT activists, who had fought with Luzhkov for so many years? That’s the question many are wondering as a new leader, Sergey Sobyanin, takes over the Moscow mayor’s office. And it’s a question we’ll soon know the answer to, as dozens of Russian LGBT activists appeal to the city to allow a sanctioned pride parade — one that the city, under Luzhkov, hasn’t allowed for years.

As much as there is reason to be optimistic, given Luzhkov’s departure, there’s also plenty of reason to be a bit skeptical that things can change in Moscow overnight. Activists tried to schedule a rally for tomorrow, but were denied a permit by the city. But that temporary setback isn’t going to quiet the persistent advocacy that a number of folks in the city have kept up, even in the face of brutal hatred.

“I have been fighting against injustice for more than five years, almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Nikolai Alekseev, who just a few weeks ago was scooped up by Russian authorities as he tried to board a Swiss Air flight. Alekseev has been a blistering thorn in the side of homophobic politicians in Russia for quite some time, helping lead a complaint against Russia before the European Court of Human Rights. Other activists in Russia say that their phones have been tapped, and that authorities regularly stop by their houses to harass and intimidate them. All of this combined gives Russia the reputation as one of Europe’s most homophobic countries.

Still, don’t count out the fledgling Russian LGBT movement yet. Their petition to stage a pride rally could turn over a whole new leaf when it comes to Russia’s reputation for equal rights, if the city of Moscow doesn’t stand in the way. Besides, several of the folks pushing equality on the Moscow streets recognize that nothing ever changed without a lot of diligence and persistence.

"Through my work, I have learned a lot about Russia and myself,” said Anna Komarova, a 38-year-old photographer who has become a full-time activist. "The people who face serious problems in this country aren’t the ones who talk about them, they are the ones who try to solve them.” Help these brave souls out by sending an email to the Moscow mayor’s office, letting them know that the whole world is watching and waiting for their decision on whether to allow a pride march. Let’s have some international pressure to help these local activists score a major victory for human rights.

November 13, 2010 – mr7.ru
(Russian to English translation)

6c
Administration of St. Petersburg agrees to a request

Administration of the Central district of St. Petersburg agreed to a request to hold a picket at the Great Moscow street. Applicants were the gay movement "Equality". Organizer of the picket, a gay activist, Maria Efremenkova called the administration’s decision "decent. " Earlier in October, the courts repeatedly made decisions against other requests from "Equality" but gay activists refused to agree to recognize the decisions.

25 November 2010 – PinkNews

7
Russian gay activists hold first legal demonstration

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
The demonstration was held in St Petersburg – Gay rights activists in St Petersburg held Russia’s first legal pro-gay demonstration last Saturday. Around a dozen people gathered in the city centre with placards calling for gay rights, following a European Court of Human Rights ruling last month. However, they were hugely outnumbered by an estimated 100 counter-demonstrators, who threw eggs and shouted anti-gay abuse.

Reports say no one was injured but gay activists claimed that officers had done little to ensure participants’ protection. Maria Efremenkova, who organised the gay march, told Gay City News: “These fanatics screamed homophobic insults at us and chanted religious songs and slogans, threw eggs at us, and finally tore down our posters, banners, and rainbow flags, at which point we ended the demonstration after about 40 minutes.”

But she added: “The impact of breaking the silence on homosexuality cannot be overestimated. Seeing strong, proud gay people speaking out and standing up for themselves and declaring they want the same human rights as everyone else inspires many people – especially those gays in the closet and young people struggling with creating their own identity in a homophobic society – to know they are not alone.”

Last month, the European Court of Human Rights upheld three complaints over Russian capital Moscow’s ban on gay Pride marches. Russian gay rights leader Nikolai Alekseev complained to the court that the parade bans in 2006, 2007 and 2008 breached the European Convention on Human Rights. The court ruled that Russia could not justify bans on gay rights demonstrations.

December 04, 2010 – OnTop Magazine

8
Vladimir Putin Says There Are ‘No Prohibitions’ For Gays Serving In The Military

by On Top Magazine Staff
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says there are “no prohibitions” against gay men and lesbians serving in the Russian military. The country’s 57-year-year-old former president made his remarks on CNN‘s Larry King Live. When asked by King if gays could serve openly in the Russian military, Putin answered “there are no prohibitions.”

But before answering the question, the Russian leader emphasized that the government had a greater responsibility of protecting heterosexual couples because they produce children.

“One gender marriages will not give you offspring, therefore we are very patient to the sexual minorities, but still we believe that the state should support the processes having to do with the birth rate, mother and child care, infancy, and take care of the health of those people.”

“In the Soviet Union, that was about criminal responsibility for same gender sex,” he added. “No there are no prohibitions or bans on that score.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)

The Russian military ended its ban on gay service in 2003. Anti-gay sentiment in Russia, however, remains widespread. A 2005 survey found that only 14 percent of the population approves of gay marriage.

Gay pride parades in the nation’s capital, Moscow, have been banned by the government, and pro-gay demonstrations are quickly stamped out by the police.

December 14, 2010 – UK Gay News

9
Moscow Bans Gay Rally at Lubyanka Square – First indication of new administration attitudes towards LGBT rights

MOSCOW (GayRussia) – The Moscow Government has denied a group of activists from the St. Petersburg-based “Russian LGBT Network” permission to hold a rally in support of the victims of Soviet repressions charged on the basis of Article 121 of the old Criminal Code which prohibited consensual sexual relations between men, according to the sources of Project GayRussia.Ru at Moscow City Hall. Activists of “Russian LGBT Network” had planned to stage their rally at Lubyanka Square in front of former KGB (now FSB) headquarters on Friday December 17.

According to the press release of the organisers, apart from the LGBT activists a few human rights defenders were planning to take part, including the head of Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseeva and the executive director of the same organization Nina Tagankina. The head of “Russian LGBT Network” Igor Kochetkov planned to arrive to Moscow from St. Petersburg.

Participants of the planned rally hoped to call the state officials to officially rehabilitate those sentenced under Article 121 of Soviet-era Criminal Code and to recognize them as victims of political repressions. According to the press release of the event organisers, in 2008 “Russian LGBT Network” announced 17 December as the Day of remembrance of gays and lesbians, who became victims of political repressions. On that day in 1933 a decree was adopted which criminalized homosexual relations between consenting men. The article against homosexual relations was repealed in 1993 but no-one charged on its basis was ever rehabilitated.

The ban of the Friday rally at Lubyanka Square is the first denial of public events of sexual minorities in Moscow since the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights delivered on 21 October 2010. In the case of Alekseyev v. Russia , the Strasbourg-based court ruled that by banning three Moscow Prides in 2006, 2007 and 2008 Russia breached three articles of the European Convention. Last month, the Prefecture of the Central Administrative District of Moscow banned picketing by gay activists in support of the European Court decision on Moscow Prides. The event was supposed to take place in front of the Council of Europe representation in downtown Moscow. Taganskiy District court ruled that the ban was in fact a permission. The case is now being considered by Moscow City Court on appeal.

Organisers of Friday’s event have not yet announced if they plan to conduct their protest without the permission of the city authorities. Nikolay Alekseev, the organizer of Moscow Gay Pride, called the decision to ban the event “unlawful” but stressed that he is “not surprised with what happened”. He expressed hope that the organisers of the rally will appeal to court and take the case up to Strasbourg if needed. The decision in the case of Alekseyev v. Russia, first verdict of the European Court against Russia on LGBT rights, has not yet come into force as Russian authorities have until 21 January 2011 to ask for the referral of the case to the Grand Chamber. Though the consideration of the appeal is unlikely and the verdict should be enforced by the next Moscow Pride, planned for 28 May 2011.

Homophobic Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who banned all public events of gays and lesbians, was dismissed by Russian President in September. The new Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has not yet publicly expressed his views on LGBT rights. But the ban of Friday event is the first indication of the position of new Moscow Administration on public manifestations of sexual minorities.

December 20, 2010 – Gay.by
Google Russian to English translation

9a
Russia’s LGBT Project opens new website

The new website started on December 20 after a forced three-month hiatus associated with the actions of "Caravan", which refused to continue to provide hosting services project and refused to return the server to the site Gayrussia.ru.

Action Campaign "Caravan" decided to complete re-branding of the project and create a new information resource. The new project addresses are: gayrussia.ru and gayrussia.eu.
Gay.by

December 25, 2010 – UK Gay News

10
Baev: Head of the Russian Constitutional Court Has Declared War on the Russian Gay Community

by Nikolai Baev
(Nikolai Baev is a Russian gay activist and is one of the organisers of Moscow Gay Pride ince its inception almost six years ago.)

MOSCOW (GayRussia) – Judge Zorkin, in his justification of discrimination against sexual minorities, can be compared only with the notorious homophobes, such as Luzhkov. The legacy of disgraced Luzhkov lives on. The banner of Russian political homophobe Number One raised the head of the Russian Constitutional Court, Valery Zorkin. Before him, only Luzhkov with such insistence was trying to prove to society and even the justice that discrimination against an entire group of Russian citizens is quite legitimate and even in the highest degree of “morality”.

As we know, history repeats itself as farce. And now we hear the same words about the “cultural code” and “tradition” of Russia, which is so alien to these “homosexuals”. Only now they are heard from the lips of a polished lawyer, doctor of law – a man who seemingly would have to uphold and defend the rights of citizens, rather than deny them. And this is a bitter irony. Judge Zorkin’s homophobic rants and revelations, in the spirit of legal nihilism, came this week in the wake of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights. Already, after virtually all the European legal community has recognised the inadmissibility of the deprivation of Russian gays the right to freedom of assembly and expression.

And here the most “authoritative” lawyer of Russia says things that completely negate the very letter and spirit of the law, which stands on the side of the equality of all social groups of citizens. The LGBT community was represented by Mr. Zorkin as his worst enemy. In fact, he declared war on civil equality of gays and lesbians in Russia. This enemy is powerful and influential enough, it will consistently oppose the realisation of our rights and freedoms: from basic human rights to social and family rights.

But he has weaknesses.
Firstly, a traditional legal and political schizophrenia inherent in all of our isolationist homophobes. On the one hand he says that “in Russia, sexual minorities are protected by the Constitution”. But on the other hand he immediately justifies discrimination against them. This makes his position legally untenable – and retrograde. In the eyes of his European colleagues, Zorkin becomes a legal outcast who thinks that, in Russia, Shariah Law is better than the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Secondly, he is blatantly hypocritical, so typical of homophobia. At the same ill-fated press conference, Valery Zorkin lamented the “stratification in society”, which occurs when “there is a certain advantage, while others, like stepchildren”. And here he declares such “legal stepchildren” of all GLBT citizens of Russia! On the one hand, Zorkin says that Russia must remain part of the European ideal, but on the other he immediately demarcates homophobia, listing Makhachkala or Groznyi or Kazan, where, in his view, human rights are no longer valid!

The Russian authorities are now conducting complex negotiations to abolish the visa regime with the European Union. I wonder whether, in the opinion of Mr. Zorkin and other homophobes, included in this visa-free zone, Makhachkala, Groznyi and Kazan? Or still leave them outside of the free movement of EU and Russian citizens – as a black zone, devoid of legal equality with institutionalized discrimination? LGBT Russia hopes that such hypocritical and schizophrenic rants of Mr. Zorkin are just “personal opinion” and are not the official position of the entire government.

Read Article

December 25, 2010 – Rainbow News
Russian to English translation

11
Teenagers who robbed and tortured gays now sit in jail

By the terms of imprisonment of 3 to 6.5 years, sentenced six teenagers, residents of Nizhny Novgorod, who were accused of attacking the men. The peculiarity of the matter is that all the victims of criminals were homosexual. As reported by the NTA-Volga region, with reference to the court Kanavinsky district of Nizhny Novgorod, alleging underage teens 4 episodes robberies committed by 16 to 23 February 2010.

Teens learned about the gay dating sites and tied with correspondence, seeking an invitation for a visit. After they attacked them in apartments and threatened with knives and air gun and took away valuables and money. One of the victims, who did not want to inform his PIN on his credit card, an attacker tries to force.
Gay.Ru

December 25, 2010 – Rainbow News
Russian to English translation

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LGBT "Equality" calls for their right to freedom of assembly

The organization "Equality", known for the series of lawsuits to the authorities of St. Petersburg, ended in victory for gay activists in the struggle for the right to hold public activities, supported the Russian LGBT Network. We remind the authorities in Moscow refused to agree on a picket "… LGBT network" called "the forgotten victims of the totalitarian regime – the 250,000 convicted of Love." The rally was held near the Solovetsky stone on Lubyanka Square on December 17. Leader "… LGBT network" Igor Kochetok then stated that "… in an atmosphere of fear that prevails today in Moscow, and in other cities, we do not consider it possible to realize our right to freedom of assembly."

"… We express our indignation and protest against the illegal actions of the Moscow authorities. We declare that such an outrage against LGBT people discredit the image of Russia as a democratic state of law and is a catalyst for social tension, as condoning illegal acts of political and religious xenophobia and justifies them … We call on human rights to condemn the actions of the Moscow authorities to ban a picket on Dec. 17, "- said in a press release distributed by the" equality "before.
Gay.Ru

December 31, 2010 – GayRussia.Ru
Google translation Russian to English

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GayRussia.Ru summarizes 2010: a breakthrough in the fight for LGBT rights in Russia

by JPGPodoshel
We brought the project GayRussia.Ru and the LGBT community in Russia, the first important results of the five-year struggle for the rights of sexual minorities, and which prompted the opening of a new page in our organization.

According to already established tradition for years, the last day of the year project GayRussia.Ru brings the subtotal of its activities with the main events and people of the year. In 2010, the project GayRussia.Ru said just two of the anniversary. May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, our organization was exactly 5 years and less than two weeks after the May 29, in the Russian capital the Fifth Moscow Gay Pride.

Read entire story here.