Russia Proves its Atrocious Record on LGBT Rights. Again.

Published May 16, 2009 @ 07:41AM PT

Russia LGBT Violence

Russia is one of the least safe places for LGBT people in the entire world. Despite the fact that the country decriminalized homosexuality more than fifteen years ago, violent demonstrations and crackdowns against LGBT rights seem to happen almost every year.

This year is, sadly, no different.

Today, dozens of LGBT rights supporters demonstrated in Moscow to call for equal rights. The rally was timed with Russia's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, a pop culture phenomenon in Europe that is drawing thousands of people to Moscow (many of them LGBT) this weekend. How did Russia respond?

With a violent crackdown and lots of arrests of LGBT folks.

Per David Nowak at the AP:

Riot police violently broke up several gay rights demonstrations in Moscow on Saturday, hauling away scores of protesters hours before the Russian capital hosted a major international pop music competition....

Police seized gay rights protesters as well as some members of religious and nationalist groups that staged counter-demonstrations. They also took away gay rights activists for simply talking to reporters, and ripped the bra and shirt off one female protester.

At least two foreign activists were also detained, British LGBT rights activist Peter Tatchell and American activist Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network. Tatchell, who was assaulted two years ago during a gay rights demonstration in Russia, told the AP that this year's crackdown on LGBT rights shows that Russia still hasn't progressed in how it values people's basic human rights. "This shows the Russian people are not free! The arrests were done in a very violent, aggressive manner. We believe the reaction of the Moscow police was totally unjustified," Tatchell is reported as saying.

Activists are now calling on contestants in tonight's Eurovision Song Contest to publicly denounce LGBT violence from the stage. Will they do so? Let's hope. Russia atrocious record on LGBT rights needs to be exposed for what it is - violent and extreme.

Spread the Word

More You Can Do

Get action and news alerts about Gay Rights »
Browse top Gay Rights organizations to support »
Find out more about Gay Rights and what you can do to help »

Comments (12)

This is horrific. I'm so sorry to hear this. Thank you for reporting it.

Posted by Christine Clarke on 05/16/2009 @ 07:57AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Christine
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
It's unfortunate that the Russian police officers in Moscow mistreated the LGBT people who were there for the Eurovision Song Contest. LGBT rights is a movement with dignity, falling under the ever evolving concept of Civil Rights. This is starkingly similar to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s in the southern United States, however equality shall prevail. It's unfortunate that two foreign activists were arrested and one was an American.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 05/16/2009 @ 01:52PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Edwin
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Now I see why there was a cold war. The US and Russia appear to be more similar than people might think.

Posted by Chris Marshall on 05/16/2009 @ 05:48PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Chris
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
This is very sad news. Russia is not moving in the right direction at all.

Posted by Bill Woosley on 05/16/2009 @ 07:14PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Bill
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
The activists are brave. I am with them in spirit. It is amazing how people are stepping up right now, and that the stories are actually being covered. Like Dan Choi and Sandy Tsao. I wish we could send those two to Moscow to defend the gay activists!

There is still the potential for this kind of violence in the US, too. Just after the election, I saw someone get bashed in the face by a yes on 8 person at the Mormon Temple demonstration right here in LA. He was smashed from behind by the guy, who was about 100 pounds heavier. The gay demonstrator's face was covered in blood when I came upon him. This was in the middle of a protest with about 5,000 people. Can't tell you how upsetting it was.

Posted by Gail Wise on 05/17/2009 @ 09:00AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Gail
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Its is sad, but can we say the same in what happened in California 2008.. when alot of religious people of all walks of life made sure Prop 8 didnt pass ?

Before pointing the fingers at another country, lets look at our issues too.

Posted by Lara Nunes on 05/17/2009 @ 03:06PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Lara
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
"Russia is one of the least safe places for LGBT people in the entire world."

I highly doubt the truth of the above statement. Click the link to find 48 of the worst countries for LGBT people, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_countries.

Islamic countries make Russia pale in comparison to the plight of the LGBT community. Let's start with the worst of the worst and then we can enlighten the Russians.

Posted by jack barr on 05/17/2009 @ 03:51PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
What information are you trying to provide? After clicking on the above link, this is what I got????

My I suggest posting what REALLY HAPPENS in Muslim countries to LGBT members, then provide the URL as a reference or for additional information.

See Below..

Muslim countries.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Look for Muslim countries. on one of Wikipedia's sister projects: Wiktionary (free dictionary)Wikibooks (free textbooks)Wikiquote (quotations)Wikisource (free library)Wikiversity (free learning resources)Commons (images and media)Wikinews (free news source)
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Muslim countries. in Wikipedia to check for alternative titles or spellings.
Start the Muslim countries. article or add a request for it. Search for "Muslim countries." in existing articles. Look for pages within Wikipedia that link to this title.
Other reasons this message may be displayed:
If a page was recently created here, it may not yet be visible because of a delay in updating the database; wait a few minutes and try the purge function. Titles on Wikipedia are case sensitive except for the first character; please check alternate capitalizations and consider adding a redirect here to the correct title. If the page has been deleted, check the deletion log, and see Why was my page deleted?.

DaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH..??????????

Posted by leatrice brantley on 05/17/2009 @ 05:30PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Didja think it was possible the page in my link might have been deleted?

My question would be "Would you rather take a beating in Russia or a beheading in a muslim country?".

Posted by jack barr on 05/18/2009 @ 02:36PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by jack
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Homosexuality and Islam

For age-structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Middle East. Part of a series on
Religion and homosexuality Bahá'í Faith · Buddhism · Christianity · Confucianism · Hinduism · Islam · Judaism · Norse paganism · Scientology · Shinto · Sikhism · Taoism · Unification Church · Unitarian Universalism · Voodoo (Haitian) · Wicca · Zoroastrianism v • d • e
Islamic views on homosexuality are influenced by the rulings prescribed by the Qur'an and the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammed. Qur'anic verses and hadith condemn sexual acts between members of the same sex. Islam, one of the Abrahamic religions along with Judaism and Christianity, rejected homosexuality from the religion's beginning.

The Qur'an cites the story of the "people of Lot" (also known as the Sodomites) who were destroyed by the wrath of Allah because they engaged in homosexual acts. The legal punishment for sodomy has varied among juristic schools: some prescribe capital punishment; while other prescribe a milder discretionary punishment. Homosexuality is a crime and forbidden in most Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc. In some relatively secular or multi-religious Islamic countries, this is not the case, Indonesia and Turkey being some examples. Despite this, homoerotic themes were present in poetry and other literature by some Muslims which celebrated male love, and were more common than expressions of attraction to women.[1]

Some movements in Islam, such as the Al-Fatiha Foundation, accept and consider homosexuality as natural, either regarding Qur'anic verses as obsolete in the context of modern society, or pointing out that the Qu'ran speaks out against homosexual lust, and is silent on homosexual love. Writer Irshad Manji, a lesbian herself and a staunch critic of orthodox Islam,[2] is of the opinion that homosexuality is permissible within Islam; however, it only remains a minority viewpoint. Within the Shi'a school of thought in Islam, thinkers such as Ayatollah Khomeini have argued the legality of sex-change operations if a man is homosexual, and feels effeminate.[3]

Eminent scholars of Islam, such as Sheikh ul-Islam Imam Malik, Imam Shafi amongst others, rule that Islam disallows homosexuality and ordains capital punishment for a person guilty of it.[4]
Contents[hide] 1 Rulings in the Islamic Law 1.1 Rulings by scholars of Islam 2 References in Arabic and other literature 3 Legal status in modern Islamic nations 3.1 Homosexuality laws in Muslim countries 4 LGBT movements within Islam 4.1 Rights activists 5 See also 5.1 People 5.2 Other 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

to read more..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_and_Islam

Posted by leatrice brantley on 05/17/2009 @ 05:35PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by leatrice
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Why do people use Wiki as a source ? its not a good source ...

Wish people would use Good sources to get information, instead of using Wiki..

Posted by Lara Nunes on 05/17/2009 @ 05:57PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Lara
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Uh, I think we need to keep our noses out of other country's business. We are in enough trouble in Iraq right now. Leave the ruskies alone! Didn't you learn your lesson from GWB's middle ester experiment?

Posted by Hugh Jazz on 05/20/2009 @ 11:01AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Hugh
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply

Add a Comment

For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

Comment

Check Spelling

Email me when there are new posts to this thread
Comment Policy

Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.

Author

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He is the former Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, as well as the former Director of Communications for Pax Christi USA, a national Catholic peace and justice organization. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and he is also a proud sketch comedy writer.