Gay rights rallies in St. Petersburg were repeatedly broken up by Russian police over the weekend. According to SFGate, three organizers of an LGBT rally were arrested in a park on Saturday, July 7. Later the same day, five more activists were held by authorities at another rally near the Smolny complex.
Rallies speaking out for gay rights are illegal in St. Petersburg, thanks to the ridiculous law forbidding the spreading of “homosexual propaganda to minors.” The city’s lawmakers must be sipping too much Smirnoff, since, despite the law, they at first approved one of the rallies, before quickly canceling it. The rallies barely gathered crowds large enough for any public disruption: only the three arrested attended the first one; six attended the second.
Russia has been steadily tightening its anti-gay political shackles: Moscow recently banned gay Pride for 100 years, right after arresting gay rights protesters in May.
averaqe person
Everyone in the world needs to work together to increasingly isolate Russia politically, economically and socially.
Daez
@averaqe person: Simply because of their stance on human rights? If that were the case. We would isolate almost every single country. Even the United States does not have much better of a track record (especially the smaller towns and the red states).
Triple S
@Daez: I definitely understand what you are saying, but Russia is rather corrupt as well, so in isolating them from the Western World and siphoning off our help to them, maybe we can persuade them to be more reasonable.
A long shot, I know, but what the else can we do with these people?
UsualPlayers
Queerty just can’t help itself, can it? How do you know those activists are “gay”? Or do the arrests not matter if the person arrested is bisexual? And I love how you talk about “gay” rights — uh huh, because bisexuals don’t deserve any rights, do they.
Your biphobia and bisexual erasure really is limitless, isn’t it, Queerty?
grng
@Triple S: The US has never helped Russia. Well, helped itself to Russians’ wealth.
Continuum
Once again, tell me why Atlantis cruises has listed St Petersburg, Russia on their itenary. . . . . .
Why are we giving gay dollars to support people who literally hate us, and arrest us. . . . . .
You would have thought that Atlantis would have learned from their Caribbean fiasco. . . . . .
You would have thought that the Morocco port refusal would give them a clue. . . . .
Why are we spending gay dollars to support governments that deny us equality?
Triple S
@Continuum: Because politics are more important than us.
And @UsualPlayers, just calm down, OK? Just because Queerty doesn’t make a point to mention EVERY denomination of people YOU think should get some attention, it doesn’t make them ‘biphobic.’
It just sounds like you’re trying to find some fault in something for some stupid reason. Being gay means more scrutiny and hardship than Bisexual does. I’m not saying that Bisexuals have it easy and it’s all good for them, but by comparison, gay men and lesbians are the ones in the shithole deeper than Bisexuals.
Houston Bill
Atlantis is going to Russia this month. After the Canadian Government issued an official travel warning specifically addressed to Gay men and referring to St Petersburg. After the US State Department and the EU have condemned the new law in St Petersburg. After the Russian authorities have harshly enforced this law repeatedly, ignoring the worldwide condmenation that their abuse of its Gay citizens has generated. After the Russian LGBT community has publically asked tourists (including Atlantis) to stay away. I think the best outcome for Rich Campbell & Co. is for Russia to refuse the ship to dock in St Petersburg. Its not like they are taking a low profile group of five or six people there, they’re taking a ship of thousands Gay men. Its going to be an obvious presence, which is fraught with danger in my humble opinion. The potential for problems is rather strong.
Russia’s government, which appears to be aligned with some extremist clerics, is spoiling to attack the Gay community.