Russia / Queerty

» Tenacious Gays.

"Gay activist in Russia are preparing for a May 2009 Gay Pride march and anti-homophobia conference in Moscow, despite being denied a parade license since 2006." [On Top]

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» Opening Space.

"Gay rights activists in Russia have managed to secure permission to hold a picket against a homophobic politician in the city of Tambov. City authorities approved the protest yesterday, the first time a gay public event has been authorized in Russia… The picket against homphobia, to held on Friday, is in protest against the regional governor Oleg Betin. In May, he declared in an interview: 'Tolerance?! To hell! Faggots should be torn apart. And their pieces should be thrown in the wind.'" [Pink News]

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» Resistance!

"Authorities in Saint Petersburg, Russia have effectively shut down the first-ever gay film festival as it was set to open Thursday. The Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival was scheduled to open on Thursday, but now appears postponed at best after fire department inspectors closed the clubs (The Place and Sochi) where the films were to be screened, [said] festival organizer Irina Sergeeva…" [On Top]

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New Yorker Spies Palin's Russian Ridiculousness

The New Yorker gets all political again with this take on Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's ridiculous assertion that her home state of Alaska's proximity to Russia qualifies as foreign policy experience - the very same assertion that stuns Anderson Cooper into submission?

[Via Gawker]

Sep 29, 2008 · Link · 4 Responses

» Brrrr…

"Russia is to build new space and missile defence shields and put its armed forces on permanent combat alert, President Medvedev announced today… The announcement puts Russia in a new arms race with the United States, which has infuriated the Kremlin by seeking to establish an anti-missile shield in eastern Europe. The US argues that the shield is aimed at rogue states such as Iran, but Russia is convinced that its own security is threatened." [Times]

13 Responses

Cooper Stunned By Palin Idiocy

Anderson Cooper has seen it all - war, famine, drought: the works.

Still, the veteran journalist seems absolutely flabbergasted by Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin's wild - and nonsensical - assertion that her role as Alaska's Governor and proximity to Russia translate to foreign policy experience.

Watch his disgust while discussing Palin's interview with Katie Couric on the matter.

Sep 26, 2008 · Link · 20 Responses

So, Sarah, How Is Alaska's Proximity to Russia Relevant?

From the second half of Katie Couric's interview with vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, airing tonight:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land– boundary that we have with– Canada. It– it's funny that a comment like that was– kind of made to– cari– I don't know, you know? Reporters–

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

CONTINUED »

Sep 25, 2008 · Link · 14 Responses

» Tough Cookie.

If you're not scared of Sarah Palin, you should be. The Republican vice-presidential hopeful told Charlie Gibson last night that we should "keep an eye" on Russia, whose recent invasion of Georgia has caused some tension with the United States. If they keep acting so aggressively, said Palin, we may have to go to war with them. That, we think, would be a huge mistake. The Russians, you know, are tight with the Chinese. Our nation's powerful, yes, but let's not be stupid. [HuffPo]

30 Responses

» Words….

"But the thing is that we [gays] are in no unique position. The entire country suffers equally (at least in this way there is some equality) and we are hoping that everything will resolve soon." - Georgian gay activist Paata Sabelashvili on this week's Russian invasion into his homeland. [Petrelis]

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» Woman Scorned…

"A Russian woman in St Petersburg killed her drunk husband with a folding couch, Russian media reported on Wednesday. St Petersburg's Channel Five said the man's wife, upset with her husband for being drunk and refusing to get up, kicked a handle after an argument, activating a mechanism that folds the couch up against a wall… The man fell between the mattress and the back of the couch…" [Reuters]

10 Responses

» Culture.

"A Russian spa town has unveiled a monument to enema treatments in the guise of an 800-pound bronze syringe bulb held up by three angels. 'There is no kitsch or obscenity,' said the spa's director, Alexander Kharchenko. 'An enema is almost a symbol in our region.'" [NY Post]

2 Responses

» Perspectives.

"After illegal Gay Pride marches went ahead in Moscow earlier this month, homosexualist activists are condemning the Russian Orthodox Church for asserting Christian teaching on sexuality and suggesting that homosexual people do not have to live the 'gay lifestyle'. One member of the Orthodox Church, Father Vsevolod Chaplin, recently said of homosexuals, in an interview with newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, 'Such people are deeply unhappy'. 'I know it from confessions and numerous life stories. It's not by chance that they die earlier and there're more suicides, drug addicts and alcoholics among them,' he said." [Virtue Online]

5 Responses

Gay Russian Singer Has No Pride

Not all of Russian's gays are proud of this weekend's clandestine pride.

Frighteningly plasticine singer Boris Moiseyev told a newspaper that while he thinks the nation's gays should be able to march, the gays should basically back off: …Moiseyev doesn't approve of Moscow gay pride parade organizers being so persistent in their desire to conduct a march in spite of the authorities ban and public protests. "If society doesn't accept [gays], they shouldn't insist."

This sort of reminds us of when Rupert Everett "party-grazing cows" comment.

Jun 2, 2008 · Link · 5 Responses

Ban Can't Stop Subdued Moscow Pride

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov may have banned the gay pride parade, but that didn't stop some tenacious activists from make their voice heard. Well, sort of. Since they weren't permitted to march down the street, the gays took a creative approach. And, yes, were met with protest:

Campaigners were too afraid to protest on the street, so a small group instead hung a banner calling for tolerance from an apartment window opposite Mr Luzhkov's offices.

As the four activists unfurled the banner, Orthodox priests on the street below denounced the "moral corruption" of homosexuality.

Their female followers, clutching crucifixes, threw eggs at the banner which was quickly pulled down by angry neighbors – to the cheers of passers-by.

The crowd also cheered - and jeered - when the four activists who hung the banner were arrested. They were later released. There were, however, other arrests and spots of violence:

A police spokesman told AFP 36 people had been arrested at the event at which Russian Orthodox and far-right opponents hurled eggs at gay activists and, in one instance, were seen punching a gay man to the ground.

Those arrested were mainly opponents of the pride event rather than gay activists — suggesting police were keen to minimise trouble rather than strictly enforce the ban.

Meanwhile, earlier , about twenty activists gathered outside the Pyotr Tchaikovsky Conservatory and chanted "No to homophobia." Many people claim the treasured composer was a bit bent, which would not please the nationalists much, we're sure.

Jun 2, 2008 · Link · 3 Responses

» Bloody Good.

While Moscow's mayor continues coming down on gay peopel, Russia's health minister proved that progress still exists in the post-Soviet nation: "The Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development has repealed the ban on blood donations by homosexual people, it emerged last night. This move by the Russian authorities is a victory for the activists…who have fought the restrictions for more than two years." [UK Gay News]

2 Responses