Gay Russia News & Reports 2011 Sep-Dec

Last May, the Gay Pride in Moscow (Moscow Pride) was banned by the city once again and was suppressed by violence from the Russian authorities and gangs of neo-Nazis. In these video diaries, Judith Silberfeld of Yagg shows the arrests, the fear, the long and painful struggle of Russian activists and the involvement of foreign activists. The document is gross and upsetting, which is also a reflection on what an activist media journalist can expect in Moscow.

View the 3 video episodes here

About Yagg
Yagg.com LGBT media is a new French reference, established in November 2008 by four journalists, Christophe Martet Judith Silberfeld, Xavier Heraud and Yannick Barbe, with more than 10 years of experience in gay media. Yagg is a participatory news site, a social network community blogging platform and a webTV. Yagg is the only media online with a comprehensive coverage of the French gay and lesbian community. Yagg site is recognized by the CPPAP (French Joint Committee for Publications and News Agencies) and is a member of the Press Syndicate of Information Independent online (Spiil.

Further contact:
Yannick Barbe (editor in chief)
09 53 74 05 31 / 06 60 46 00 61

12 September 2011 – Gay Russia
Russian to English translation

2
In October, Moscow holds photo exhibition dedicated to the experience of coming out

"Living the fireplace-timeout" (literal translation?) is the working title of a photo exhibition dedicated to the international day of fireplace timeout, which is 11 October 1987, in many countries around the world. On the project were activists of the Metropolitan "Rainbow Association."

"…It is important for us to show it was the first emotional Association. Not what a person thinks or knows about fireplace-out and not his attitude to the problem, namely the first sense, it is experiencing with fireplace time-out. They can be very different from "scared" or "hurt" through "passed" and "lonely" and "easy", "long forgotten" … Among them is a whole range of other sensations, each its own. And we would like to show them on our show, "think about the meaning of the project sponsors.

September 14, 2011 – osvita.org.ua
Russian to English translation

3
Study: In Ukraine Tens of Thousands of Teenagers Engage in Gay Sex

The Source: Korrespondent.net
Ukrainian Institute of Social Studies with the assistance of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted a study to assess the number of boys, teenagers and young adults aged 10 to 19 years, practicing homosexual sex. Nationally, their numbers estimated at 20 thousand people. Scientists note that the proportion of adolescents in the total number of available social men having gay sex, is, according to the valuation calculations, about 10%. The researchers also noted that among disadvantaged adolescents who live or work in the street, one in ten (10%) have experience of same-sex sexual contact.

"Estimation of the number of such groups of teenagers, as young men who have gay sex, girls providing sex services on a commercial basis, and adolescents of both sexes, injecting drug users – is important in terms of overcoming the epidemic in our country, so as representatives of these groups most often among young people are exposed to risks of infection ", says head of research, PhD in Sociology Olga Balakirev. It is worth noting that according to a national survey of students in 2010, the average age of onset of sexual activity among teenage boys, without considering the factor of sexual orientation is 14.9 years. At the same time, scientists from other research organizations – the Center for Social Expertise of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – installed during a special sociological survey that 42% of gay and bisexual men in Ukraine first had gay sex before the age of 16 years.

"Adolescents who have same-sex contacts, the number of 20 thousand people in the country – these are the same of our children, care about which words to demonstrate power. At a time when sociologists were obtained specific numbers, state their level of social services, school systems and technical secondary Education, a network of medical institutions should provide a comprehensive social, psychological and medical needs of this part of our young people, on the one hand, and on the other – to make sure that the rest of the teenagers, that is, among those who do not practice and is not going to practice same-sex sex, there is no prejudice and hostility toward their same-sex peers. We need to promote tolerance among adolescents. Otherwise, we expect to strengthen illogical principles of tolerance among adults, each of which, as they say, comes from childhood "- said the head of the Ukrainian LGBT Gay Association Forum of Ukraine Svyatoslav Sheremet.

15 September 2011 – The Moscow Times

4
Gay Rights Festival to Start in St. Pete

by Sergey Chernov
St. Petersburg — The consulates of Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden are supporting a major gay rights cultural event that opens in St. Petersburg this week, as national statistics show that homophobic attitudes are on the rise in Russia. Called Queerfest, the 10-day festival featuring music, dance, art, lectures and debates was launched in 2009 by Vykhod, or Coming Out, a local LGBT rights group.

“I am looking forward to visiting this year’s St. Petersburg Queerfest because I believe that gay people should be able to live without fear of discrimination or criminalization,” British Consul-General Gareth Ward said in an e-mail. “Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people make a big contribution to British cultural life,” Ward said. “St. Petersburg’s sister city, Manchester, has a famous gay pride event. This can be an important and fun way of celebrating diversity and tolerance in Russia as well.”

Homophobia is a problem in many countries, he continued. “The U.K. is a world leader in supporting LGBT equality, but we are not complacent. Last year the U.K. government passed an ambitious program to tackle prejudices. In Russia, homosexuality was decriminalized in the 1990s, but there is a long way to go to remove social stigmatization and hate crime. Civil society groups such as Vykhod are leading the way.” Ward will speak at the opening of Queerfest on Thursday along with Dutch Consul-General Yennes de Mol.

The Swedish Consulate has also backed the event with a letter of support that can be read on Queerfest’s web site. The motto of this year’s festival is the “Art of Being Yourself.” “It’s dedicated to the subject of self-expression through art by different people, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” Vykhod director Igor Kochetkov said. The festival’s diverse program includes photo exhibitions by World Press Photo award-winning Italian photographer Mattia Insolera and the Moscow-based contemporary artist Serge Golovach.

Queerfest will end with a rock concert called Stop Homophobia! at the Avrora Concert Hall on Sept. 25. Headlined by Moldovan folk-punk band Zdob Si Zdub, it will feature Cuibul — also from Moldova, the Moscow band FiLLiN and St. Petersburg’s own Iva Nova, Monoliza and Snega. Last year, the festival came under pressure from the authorities when the state-owned House of Artists canceled a photography exhibition — and the festival’s planned opening — at the last minute, allegedly after getting a telephone call from the city’s culture committee.

20 September 2011 – International Queer Culture Festival 2010.

5
International Queer Culture Festival 2010 is a project of Russian LGBT organization Coming Out

It is one of the most prominent events to combat homophobia and increase visibility of LGBT in Russia.
Access to video available here

2011 September 20 – FrontLine

6
Russia: Gay Culture and Rights Celebrated Despite Attacks

LGBT organisation Coming Out issued a statement about Third International Festival QueerFest 2011, which opened September 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, despite protests and attacks by members of clerical extremist organisations, who threw eggs, exploded firecrackers, and sprayed pepper spray at the premises.

Full text of the statement from Coming Out
Third International Festival QueerFest 2011 opened September 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, despite protests and attacks by members of clerical extremist organisations, who threw eggs, exploded firecrackers, and sprayed pepper spray at the premises. Close to 200 people attended the opening ceremony, including representatives of Amnesty International, Civil Rights Defenders of Sweden, Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg and other leading human rights organisations of Russia and abroad; diplomats from the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, France, Norway, artists and members of civil society spoke about the importance of LGBT rights work in Russia.

QueerFest’s mission is to give Russian gays and lesbians a sense of Pride and to raise awareness of LGBT rights in society at large. Artists, human rights activists, and public persons voice their support for tolerance and non-violence by participation in the festival. For 10 days St. Petersburg public will enjoy photo exhibitions, concerts against homophobia, open public debates and discussions about LGBT rights and traditional values, freedom of expression and censorship. So far the festival has attracted close to 700 gay, lesbian, and straight people. Festival is organised by LGBT organisation Coming Out.

September 27th, 2011 – SDGLN.com

7
Another day in the life of homophobic Russia

by Paul Canning – LGBT Asylum News
In the latest news from homophobic Russia: Moscow police have stopped investigating the bashing of a lesbian journalist; Moscow authorities refuse to register LGBT NGOs; and another Russian region wants to outlaw LGBT and pro-gay organizing. But, in good news, ‘liberal’ St Petersberg held a successful LGBT festival.

Elena Kostyuchenko is a well-known Russian journalist who recently came out as lesbian in her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. At the May Moscow Pride march she was beaten up in full view of the world’s media. But Moscow police just announced that they were closing the case due to ‘lack of evidence’. The man who bashed her, Roman Lisunova, now has the right to bring a civil action for compensation for moral damages for unlawful prosecution – this was explained to him by the police investigator.

Also this week, the Russian Ministry of Justice has again refused to register four gay organizations in Moscow, which means that the capital has still not registered a single open-social organisation of sexual minorities.
Russian activists have pledged to sue the refusal to register their groups before the European Court of Human Rights.

Russian gay leader and organiser of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alekseev, pointed out that gay groups have been registered in St. Petersburg. "The impression is that Moscow and St. Petersburg are cities located in different countries," he said. "There is no unity of legal space in Russia, none."

In 2010 a request to register the ‘Movement for Marriage Equality’ was denied on ‘public morality’ grounds. A complaint against Russia about that is with the European Court of Human Rights, as is one from the LGBT organization Raduzhny Dom (Rainbow House) from the city of Tyumen, 200k east of Moscow.

Read complete story here

September 29, 2011 – Huffington Post

8
Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region Outlaws All Gay Events, Pride Parade

A new law outlawing all public displays of homosexuality, including Pride parades, has gone into effect in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia reports RT.com. The measure, which was drafted by several local activist organizations and religious groups, is being championed most vigorously by the Russian Orthodox Church. “All priests know that the souls of those who suffered through sinful homosexual experience are empty and desperate,” said Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Russian Orthodox Church PR department, who added, "And it is this insecurity in a minute-long pleasure that forces these spiritually unhealthy people to hold marches and other public demonstrations.”

Chaplin has been a busy man of late. Yesterday he appeared on Ekho Moskvy radio to insist that the Russian government remove Garcia Marquez’s "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Vladimir Nabokov’s "Lolita" from high school classrooms because the books "romanticize perverted passions that make people unhappy." He also asserted the acclaimed novels justified pedophilia. "Obviously, the popularization of these novels in schools will not make our society more morally happy," he said.

Sadly, the new law won’t come as a shock to many in Russia. In May more than 30 people, including American "dont ask, don’t tell" activist Dan Choi, were arrested in Moscow while attempting to stage a Pride parade. Police disrupted the event because they say organizers did not have the proper permits. In October of 2010 the European Court of Human Rights found that the ban on Pride parades in Russia was unlawful and urged the nation to allow LGBT people to peacefully assemble. The Court also fined the government 30,000 euros for banning the parades in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

See video here

29 September, 2011 – MSM Global Forum

9
Gay Alliance of Ukraine Information Bulletin

Dear friends and colleagues!
I am glad to once again appeal to you from the pages of our newsletter. Autumn came and with it came new hopes, plans and aspirations. I wish that this celebrated AS Pushkin’s time to bring you a positive, romantic and a bit of luck! For our organization to you a new stage. The next year the project is completed. We stand on the horn in 2012. For further development, we the need to conduct strategic planning for develop-ment of NGO "Gay Alliance of Ukraine." In the preliminary working meetings have been developed, some princi-tsipy, on which our organization and which will-rye serve as a basis for planning our future activities.

The vision of the organization:
SBI "Gay Alliance of Ukraine":
• found in all administrative units of Ukraine and big cities of regional importance;
• is a major resource center;
Regional offices are leaders in quality and a quantitative indicators:
• Integrated HIV / STI prevention;
• community involvement;
• advocacy community.

As a result of the organization – a consolidated, healthy, ready to defend their rights and interests of society.

The organization’s mission:
1. The introduction of a comprehensive project for HIV / STI prevention in all regions of Ukraine, as well as preparation of decent and educated leaders in all regional offices.
2. Design and conduct information campaigns directed-represented in the LGBT community.
3. Increased educational and cultural level of the LGBT community.
The composition of the organization:
Representatives of the LGBT community who seek to improve the situation-tion of homosexual people in Ukraine and rallying around this goal is, as well as other people who share this goal.

Values of the Organization:
Civil society in Europe, a democratic Ukraine, consciousness-negative and cohesion ? nnoe LGBT community, which enjoys the respect and influence in society, as well as proactive and influential gay leaders and activists who are able to implement various health programs, rights and interests of the LGBT community .

Sincerely,
Taras Karasiychuk
executive director of the SBI, "Gay Alliance of Ukraine"

View attachment here

October 25, 2011 – On Top Magazine

10
Russian Gay Activist Nikolai Alekseev Quits Moscow Pride

by On Top Magazine Staff
Nikolai Alekseev, considered the face of the gay rights movement in Russia, has suddenly stepped down as chief organizer of Moscow Pride, UK gay site UKGayNews.org.uk reported.

In a Facebook post, Alekseev (sometimes spelled Alexeyev) wrote: “Dear friends … today on 21 October 2011, one year anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights verdict in the case of illegality of Moscow Pride bans, I decided to resign from the positions of the head of Russian LGBT Human Rights Project GayRussia.ru and head of Moscow Pride Organizing Committee. From midnight 21 October 2011 in Moscow and up to the decision on the new leadership, Project GayRussia.ru will be headed by Nikolay Baev and Moscow Pride Organizing Committee by Alexander Naumchik.”

Alekseev confirmed his decision to the site. “It is true that I am fed up, and that is why I decided to step down,” he wrote in an email. “I also decided not to give any further comments on my decision.” Nikolai Baev said the decision was “totally personal.”

“He just decided to change his activity in life style, and he has a full right to this,” he said. Alekseev’s bold style and confrontational personality had won him admirers and critics.

26 October 2011 – PinkNews

11
Peter Tatchell: A tribute to Nikolai Alekseev

by Peter Tatchell
Russian gay activist Nikolai Alekseev has announced that he is standing down as chief organiser of Moscow Pride and of the LGBT human rights project GayRussia.Ru – two major initiatives that he pioneered. Nikolai’s resignation is sad news and a big loss for the Russian and international LGBT movement. But I understand and respect his decision. Huge thanks to Nikolai for his amazing, ground-breaking work over many years. His efforts and those of his Moscow Pride colleagues put the human rights of LGBT Russians in the media and public consciousness worldwide. They ensured that LGBT rights were on the news and political agenda in Russia, to a degree that had never happened before. An extraordinary achievement for a small number of volunteer activists with no funding, apart from their own pockets.

Over the years, Nikolai said and did a few things that were in my opinion mistaken (but haven’t we all made errors?). I disagreed with his decision to collaborate with the right-wing politician Aleksey Mitrofanov in 2007 and I refused to appear at the Moscow Pride news conference where Mitrofanov spoke. With little success, I urged Nikolai to build closer links with other LGBT groups and the mainstream human rights and democratic/left movements in Russia. I disapproved of Nikolai’s remarks which appeared to be anti-Semitic (although I personally doubt that he is prejudiced against Jewish people).

These criticisms do not, however, negate the overall hugely positive contribution that Nikolai has made to the Russian LGBT human rights struggle. He fearlessly took on the big guns of Russian politics, from the Moscow mayor to the city’s police chief and the Russian president. Bravo! Nikolai’s activism put him in great personal danger from bashings – even assassination – by ultra nationalists and neo-Nazis. Even his harshest critics cannot deny Nikolai’s immense dedication and courage. Few others would have walked boldly into a crowd of neo-Nazis waiting to ambush Moscow Pride, knowing they may be armed with knives and iron bars.

Not many people would have dared continue to put themselves in the frontline and take on the power of the ruthless tyrannical Russian state, having seen so many human rights defenders beaten, framed on trumped up charges and even murdered. But Nikolai did. Not once but dozens of times. He was under constant immense mental stress and strain, which caused great difficulties for himself – and to his family and partner. Few others could have endured what Nikolai did. Pushed to the edge of a breakdown, he paid a very heavy personal price, which few people have acknowledged – or seem to care about. This is probably part of the reason for his decision to resign his campaign posts.

Read complete article here

November 1, 2011 – Rainbow News; Gay.Ru
Translated from Russian

12
Russian Extreme Right–the Ideological Source of Hatred Towards Gays

Russian ultra-right – a source of ideological hatred towards gays. This conclusion comes from experts at Center Sova. On the eve was distributed first in the last three years, an analytical overview of the current right-wing ideology in Russia. The experts of "OWL" notes that "an important part of the far-right ideology are the elements of moral conservatism." The subject of numerous negative comments of participants of nationalist movements in Russia have become gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Homophobia, as experts believe, has become not only part of organized associations of conservatives and nationalists, but also self-contained (not included in any far-right organizations) right-wing radicals. Here, homosexuals caught in the sight of hatred, together with representatives of various subcultures. Center "SOVA" was founded in October 2002 by a group of Information and Research Center "Panorama" and the Moscow Helsinki Group.

06 November 2011 – Gay Russia

13
GayRussia launches election campaign: “No Single Vote To Homophobes!”

Human rights LGBT project GayRussia issued a statement calling gays and lesbians not to vote for any homophobic political party during elections to Russian State Duma which will take place on December 4. None of 7 political parties included in the ballot paper supports LGBT rights in their electoral manifestos. “Therefore the question is not for whom to vote, but for whom Not To Vote”, argues GayRussia spokesman Nikolai Baev, initiator of campaign. Four parties represented in the list and having already their factions in the State Duma are particularly homophobic.

First of all this is “United Russia” party headed by prime minister Vladimir Putin who in his statements made gays and lesbian responsible for demographic crisis in Russia. Its governor Oleg Betin called to “tear fags to pieces”. Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin called gays “immoral” and prohibited Gay Pride Parade in Moscow this year. Finally, its faction in the legislature of Arkhangelskaya Oblast introduced and sponsored notorious bill on “propaganda” of homosexuality adopted in this summer and banning freedom of assembly, expression and association for LGBT people in this northern region of Russia.

Communist Party of Russian Federation is also notoriously homophobic. Its leader Gennady Zyuganov says homosexuality “contradicts to moral values of Russian people”. Communist members of Duma call for re-criminalization of homosexuality in Russia and for ban of family and parental rights of gays and lesbians. Populist party “Fair Russia’s” views on homosexuality are almost the same. Its leader Sergey Mironov is an ardent opponent of gay marriages and freedom of assembly for LGBT people. Its legislators want to re-criminalize homosexuality and deprive gays and lesbians of their family and parental rights.

Right wing populist Liberal Democratic Party headed by Vladimir Zhirinovsky thinks that homosexuality leads to “degradation, disappearance and degeneration of nation”. Its faction unanimously supported bill banning “propaganda” of homosexuality in Arkhangelskaya Oblast. “Indeed in these elections we don’t have a choice again”, says Nikolai Baev. “It doesn’t matter how you will NOT vote for homophobes: boycotting the ballot, spoiling the paper or voting for other party. The point is: don’t give them your votes!

November 7, 2011 – ParniPlus
Translated from Russian

14
Interview With 17-Year-Old Russian Boy Who is HIV+

Stories of people often change our attitude to something. With the hero of this article, I met a social network for HIV positive people on the site parniplus.ru. Looking through the new profiles, I always pay attention to the geography of those who registered. And then I draw attention to the fact that the new user have his age – 17 years. I do not know how you do, but my heart sank, just a kid. Hearing the story more, I realized that the test, which is undergoing a hero, not children, and I am sure that his story will not leave you indifferent.

Please tell us your story. How did you find out about their HIV status? As received this news?
Six months from the moment I started my sex life. During this time I was 4 partner. The first partner – it was my first sexual encounter. The other two guys – mistakes of youth, so to speak. A fourth – my ideal, whom I loved and still love. The first and fourth, I was always safe sex. And with the other two turned out, it depends. With its ideal, I met the last three months of summer, it was an unforgettable time for me. Once I decided to go on a visit to the first partner, because after we were just good friends or maybe even more, he was my big brother. That day we talked about many things, including HIV. Then he told me that he will have to go to the clinic. He offered me to him for the company to go, and if there is a desire to pass my tests for HIV infection. Since I had planned to take an HIV test, I immediately agreed because he was worried about unprotected sex, which I had.

The next day we went to the clinic. They asked me what I want to do a test: normal, or express that you want to wait a few hours. I thought about it and decided that I in no hurry. So I chose normal. Once I passed the test, I immediately forgot about it. I did not think about it. Just forgot. A week passed … I decided to call and find out, but I was told that was not yet ready. Another week has passed. And after I heard the test results. HIV-positive. This news was a shock for me, but as if I knew that this result may be because I had unprotected sex. On the phone the woman calmly told me that I need to go. At that moment I could not perceive any information or so went to my mother and said, "Mom, I’m HIV positive. Here, take, talk. There will be told where to come." My mother did not understand, apparently, well and picked up the phone. I locked myself in my room, fell on the bed, closed his eyes, and probably fell asleep. I do not remember that moment. I guess I was thinking about something and immediately fell asleep.

As I took this news? Hmm … I took it this way: I protagonist of this story. Just like in the movie. And the idea was so that my life will be short but pretty intense. Not everyone is given a chance … I know, silly, but it was something like a consolation …

Did you know that once this happens to you?
Yes, I thought. And many, many times. I often imagined how it would look, what would my actions that I felt at that moment, what would have thought that I said to myself? There were a lot of questions. A lot of assumptions. But man can not judge or evaluate what else he did not feel on their skin …

Read complete article here

November 11, 2011 – UK Gay News

15
Confusion: Moscow Appeal Court OKs Gay Pride Ban … But St. Petersburg Judge Rules Ban in Second City Was Illegal

Commentary
It appears that in the Russian judicial system the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. This morning, the Moscow City Court confirmed a previous decision given on August 19, upholding the ban of the Moscow Gay Pride at the end of May. But in St Petersburg, a first instance Court said the opposite! The ban of Slavic Gay Pride last June was illegal the Vasileostrovskiy district court of St. Petersburg ruled. Fourteen people were arrested and detained on June 25 for defying the ban imposed by the city authorities. The situation gets weirder. A year ago, in St Petersburg, three Courts found that the St Petersburg Governor breached the law by banning what was the city’s first Gay Pride attempt in June 2010. But the decision did not prevent the Governor to keep banning this year’s Pride.

Back in Moscow, the Court refused point blank to take into consideration the decision by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Alekseyev v. Russia which found the ban of the Moscow Gay Pride in 2006, 2007 and 2008 was a violation of articles 11, 13 and 14 of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This ruling in Strasbourg became “final” in April – and was totally ignored by Moscow City Hall when it came to the application to stage Moscow Pride this year.

“We will immediately appeal this decision to the European Court of Human Rights [ECHR] to show that Russia refused to enforce the Court’s decision,” Nikolai Alekseev told UK Gay News following today’s ruling. “The ball is now with the Council of Europe, and the Council has a duty to make Russia respect the European Convention on Human Rights and the decisions of the European Court which are binding for the country or, I do not know what is the use of this institution and why it was created,” Mr. Nikolai Alekseev, the applicant in the case, added.

Russia has rarely taken any notice of ECHR rulings. But it does pay the financial damages and costs imposed by the court. Mr. Alekseev received his cheque from the Russian Government last summer. Back in St. Petersburg, the victory in the courts seems to be a pyrrhic one, as the Regional Parliament is working on implementing a bill which will ban “the propaganda of homosexuality and transgender rights to minors”. And we wonder here, that if the measure is passed the performance of any work of one of Russia’s best-know gays in history, Tchaikovsky, will be banned? The bill is, of course, a move which would make it easy for the city to ban forever any public action for gay and transgender rights.

In other words, any Gay Pride march.

November 17, 2011 – On Top Magazine

16
Nikolai Alekseev Decries Russian Anti-Gay Bill

by On Top Magazine Staff
Nikolai Alekseev (also spelled Alexeyev), Russia’s most outspoken gay rights activist, has decried an anti-gay bill as a “disgrace,” the AP reported. The bill, overwhelmingly approved Wednesday by lawmakers in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, would criminalize “public actions aimed at propaganda of pederasty, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism among minors.” The proposed legislation won’t become law until it passes three required readings, but its strong showing in its first outing – one lawmaker voted against it and another wasn’t present – suggests there is little that could stop it from becoming law.

Offenders face a fine of up to $1,600 under the bill proposed by the dominant United Russia party. Alekseev said the measure would be used to hem in gay rights demonstrations. “It theoretically allows the ban of anything anywhere where kids could be present,” he told The Associated Press. The bill would become “the main legal reason to deny any public actions by the LGBT community.”

The bill’s backer, Vitaly Milonov, said in a statement that it was intended to “stop the flow of immoral information that pours over children and young people.” Although homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993, anti-gay sentiment in Russia remains high. Banned gay pride parades and marches in Moscow have received the lion’s share of media coverage, but officials have also cracked down on other events, including gay film festivals.

23 November 2011 – PinkNews

17
Outcry prompts St Petersburg legislature to reconsider “gay propaganda” law

by Stephen Gray
St Petersburg lawmakers are reportedly reconsidering the provisions of a “gay propaganda” law which passed its first reading by 27 votes to 1 this week. Vilatly Milonov, a member of the United Russia party who proposed the bill, told media: “We have decided to double-check all legal definitions related to this bill.” The new law passed by 27 votes to 1, having been introduced by the ruling United Russia party. It introduces fines for “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, to minors” and “propaganda of paedophilia”, but the severity of these are now also being addressed.

There have been numerous demonstrations in St Petersburg against the law, and LGBT rights group AllOUt.org launched an emergency petition against the legislation, which had 165,000 signatories at the time of publication. AllOut.org Co-founder Andre Banks said: “Because Russia is a powerful nation, the international community has stayed silent—not one major world leader has yet to speak out against this bill. “That hasn’t stopped tens of thousands around the world from raising their voices and standing with the beleaguered LGBT community in Russia, who are being used as a political punching bag in the run up to elections. It’s time for the same world leaders who spoke up against the ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ bill in Uganda to speak out against this draconian law in Russia.”

Fines range from 1,000 roubles (£20) for an individual to 50,000 (£1,000) for a business. Polina Savchenko, General manager of LGBT organization Coming Out, Russia told LGBT Asylum News while the bill was being discussed: “By combining homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality into one law with sexual crimes against minors, members of the Legislative Assembly indulge in gross manipulations of public opinion. “Their goal – to pass an anti-democratic law, directed at severely limiting human rights in St. Petersburg. She added: “Organizers of public events cannot restrict access of minors to any open area; people under 18 can be there just by chance. Consequently, it makes any public campaigns aimed at reducing xenophobia and hate crime prevention impossible.”

Gay Russia News & Reports 2011 Sep-Dec

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