RUSSIA: Gay Parade Plan Runs Into Resistance

By Kester Kenn Klomegah Reprint | | Print |

Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW, Apr 19 2006 (IPS) - Moves to hold a gay parade and meeting have run into strong resistance from Moscow authorities and religious leaders.

The parade has been planned as a part of a three-day conference May 26-28 on homophobia and discrimination against sexual minorities..

The conference aims to bring together academic experts on sexual orientation, representatives from European Union countries, and members of international lesbian and gay associations. Participants from more than 20 countries have been invited.

But Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov has said he does not want “society to be provoked by such a phenomenon.” He said any attempt to hold an unsanctioned gathering will be quashed.

“If it was held in Moscow its participants would expose themselves to great danger, as many could become victims of the negative attitude of the Moscovites,” he said at a press conference. Luzhkov said he thinks homosexuality “unnatural to human nature, though I try to be tolerant to whatever develops in human society.”

Influential religious groups have backed Luzhkov. The Congress of the Jewish Religious Organisations and Associations in Russia said “such a parade is not a demonstration, but a propagation of sin.” The Jewish leaders said they were “in solidarity with the Russian Orthodox Church, not only for the present, but also for the future of our country.”

The head of the Russian Union of Evangelical Pentecostals, Bishop Sergey Rykhovsky, said his organisation had congratulated Luzhkov for opposing the gay parade.

“If a gay parade was allowed, we would be promoting immorality among our people,” he told IPS. “It’s important for us to rise against it and move in defence of morality and religious sanity.”

Ryakovsky said that homosexuality “may have existed and have been praised elsewhere, but in Russia homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of Christians and deserves only to be condemned.”

Russian Patriarchate spokesman Father Michael Prokopenko told IPS that “the proposed parade is in direct opposition to the moral and ideals of the institution of the religious churches and obviously could only be considered as sinful attitude and propaganda of immorality by a group of deeply unhappy and frustrated people whose hearts are in need of purification.”

Muslim groups have warned of nationwide protest if the parade is held. The Central Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims said in a statement that Prophet Muhammad had ordered homosexuals to be killed because their conduct was leading to extinction of the human race.

“The parade should not be allowed under any circumstances because it represents neither democracy nor anarchy,” the Muslim group said. “This is the end of history.”

National organiser of the gay parade Nikolay Alekseyev has said his group will defend their rights.

“We will take it to the courts if need be, and we will demand to know the reasons why it would be illegal to converge to review our association’s activities which we considered significant,” Alekseyev told IPS.

“One of the main aims is to seek to change public perception and attitudes towards members, and to campaign against the steep rise of xenophobia and religious extremism,” he said. “In the final analysis it helps to promote good social values and a healthy society where basic freedom is guaranteed.”

The Moscow International Bureau for Human Rights has said a ban would violate the constitution.

“Moscow authorities could under no circumstances disallow a genuine gay parade which aims at attracting public attention in the sphere of sexual minorities and making conscious steps in bringing social tolerance,” director Alexander Brod told IPS.