Post by cougar on May 28, 2006 0:23:18 GMT -5
I had known for about a week, from the website
www.gayrussia.ru/en/
that lesbians and gays in Russia would attempt to hold their first ever public gay pride march in Moscow. Tonight on the local ABC news station I saw a very brief report showing demonstrators being arrested as a result of the demonstration. It looked very much like what American police did to black civil rights demonstrators back in the 1960's. The website 365Gay.com has this report on the event:
www.365gay.com/Newscon06/05/052706moscow.htm
Here is a quote from their report:
>"The rest of us were forced out of Manezhnaya Square by lines of militia and police," said British gay rights leader Peter Tatchell who had gone to Moscow to joined march .
"Some individual protestors were surrounded, abused and attacked by gangs of fascists.
"Most of us re-assembled on the edge of Manezhnaya Square. Groups of roaming neo-Nazis stormed around the square looks for gays and lesbians to attack. We had to look inconspicuous to avoid being beaten.
"Then, some of the fascists threw tear gas canisters and formed a line with the police to block our exit from Manezhnaya Square. A group of about 15 of us assembled and left by a different exit."<
The lesbian and gay community in Russia faces very seriously hateful opposition. I doubt there is much that gays and lesbians outside of Russia can do for them. We may complain to our own governments but what would motivate the U.S. government or European governments to bring leverage against the Russian government?
I wonder how this will all play out. Unlike the black civil rights activists of America, lesbian and gays can remain mostly invisible, either by choice or by force. American black civil rights activists had the advantage of undeniable difference of physical appearance and the rights granted to them by the Bill of Rights, specifically this one:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The Russians, and lesbians and gays in many other countries, lack these two great strengths. They will need the force of large numbers of people in public, and perhaps even firearms, to win their freedom.
Cougar
www.gayrussia.ru/en/
that lesbians and gays in Russia would attempt to hold their first ever public gay pride march in Moscow. Tonight on the local ABC news station I saw a very brief report showing demonstrators being arrested as a result of the demonstration. It looked very much like what American police did to black civil rights demonstrators back in the 1960's. The website 365Gay.com has this report on the event:
www.365gay.com/Newscon06/05/052706moscow.htm
Here is a quote from their report:
>"The rest of us were forced out of Manezhnaya Square by lines of militia and police," said British gay rights leader Peter Tatchell who had gone to Moscow to joined march .
"Some individual protestors were surrounded, abused and attacked by gangs of fascists.
"Most of us re-assembled on the edge of Manezhnaya Square. Groups of roaming neo-Nazis stormed around the square looks for gays and lesbians to attack. We had to look inconspicuous to avoid being beaten.
"Then, some of the fascists threw tear gas canisters and formed a line with the police to block our exit from Manezhnaya Square. A group of about 15 of us assembled and left by a different exit."<
The lesbian and gay community in Russia faces very seriously hateful opposition. I doubt there is much that gays and lesbians outside of Russia can do for them. We may complain to our own governments but what would motivate the U.S. government or European governments to bring leverage against the Russian government?
I wonder how this will all play out. Unlike the black civil rights activists of America, lesbian and gays can remain mostly invisible, either by choice or by force. American black civil rights activists had the advantage of undeniable difference of physical appearance and the rights granted to them by the Bill of Rights, specifically this one:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The Russians, and lesbians and gays in many other countries, lack these two great strengths. They will need the force of large numbers of people in public, and perhaps even firearms, to win their freedom.
Cougar