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Late last week, House leaders announced their decision to change the language of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) so that it only includes sexual orientation and not gender identity. These House leaders have said that they do not have enough votes to move forward with the original fully-inclusive bill. Sign their pre-written letter here. • George Takei's hard as a rock: asteroid named in gay actor's honor. |
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• We're total suckers for shameless self-promotion, so we readily agreed to Roger Kuhn's request to post this video: "What's Your Name?" The track's on Logo's Online Click List, but Kuhn's shooting for the televisual stars. If he gets enough votes, Logo will play the video on tv. Do you think Kuhn deserves it? If so, vote for him! If not, ignore this and move on. • Stereohyped asks: "Are Nooses The New Black?" Let's hope not. • Does Genre EIC Neal Boulton have an original thought in his head? Career history says "no". |
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To Speak At Matthew Shepard March
Russian rabble-rouser Nikolai Alexeyev will be the keynote speaker at Chicago's Matthew Shepard March this Saturday. Alexeyev's made international headlines for his tireless gay activism and the outing of prominent politico Alexander Chuev. That stunt may earn Alexeyev slander charges. Of Alexeyev's involvement, Gay Liberation Network's Andy Thayer says "[His work] demonstrates how rights have always been won, regardless of country." |
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European Officials Urged Tolerance, Luzhkov Refused
A Russian newspaper has published a series of letters in which numerous European officials, including secretary general of the council, Terry Davis, asked Luzhkov to compromise with gay pride organizers. In a missive dated January 31, Davis writes:
A homophobe through and through, Luzhkov ignored Davis and others' pleas. Instead, he asked Russia's Department of Internal Affairs to cock block queer paraders. Moscow officials, of course, won this battle, banning gay pride and have now found themselves marred in a legal battle. If only Luzhkov had taken Davis' advice. |
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Father Alexei left the Orthodox movement over its staunch anti-gay policy and took up with the more lenient - and loving - Renovated Church Federation. |
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Activists Refuse To Give Up Good Fight
Undeterred by the decision, activist Nikolay Alexeyev vows to appeal until he and his allies get justice: We will appeal the decision of the Tagansky District Court to the Moscow City Court under the current law. Then we are going to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The current law insists local governments provide security and clearance for public happenings. Moscow's anti-gay mayor, Yuri Luzhkov did not comply, which led to an exceptionally bloody pride parade. |
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An eagle-eyed reader sent us in this m4m sexvert entitled "Russian Dictator Seeks Love": I'm a nice, decent guy looking to meet another masculine bro for some hot fucking and hopefully a meaningful emotional connection. I like dogs, fishing, poisoning dissidents, and long walks on the beach. Turn offs are mean people and democracy. I hope I can meet a guy who can look past my rough exterior and see the sensitive artist underneath. I like to cuddle with a guy, gently kissing him all over his body until the morning light comes in through the window. You must be into BDSM sub/dom pain play, I'll tie you to a chair and interrogate you for hours, I'm handy with a pair of pliers. We love poisoning with dissidents and told Pootie-Poot as much, but he's not interested. He prefers to dominate men with darker, Chechen features. |
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• The Russian Orthodox Church wants some anti-gay education. • Michael Rogers wants straight people to watch the gay debates. Here's why. • Don't have Logo? Watch the gay forum online. |
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A collection of stories from sixteen gay authors, the anthology takes a look at gay life in Russia - minus the gay. While some would hope a gay anthology would attempt to stir the shit, Kirsanov hopes to avoid controversy: I regularly think in my head about what the grandma in the bookstore who opens the book will say. I'm always a little afraid and am reluctant to have problems with the government. I wanted a collection of authors that wouldn't arouse such a reaction. It's a shame a democratic government such as Russia's would instill so much fear that even the gays are editing themselves. But, as we've seen, democracy doesn't always equal liberal freedom. |
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After being outed by gay activist Nicolas Alexeyev on national television, Chuev pressed the General Prosecutor to press charges - any charges - against Alexeyev (pictured). The General Prosecutor must have agreed, because Alexeyev may be charged with slander. Slander's never an easy charge to prove and, as Pink News explains, Russian prosecutors will have to show that being called "gay" hurt Chuev's reputation. |
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Nationalist Movement On The Rise, Hell Bent
Russian homophobes certainly aren't shy. They definitely made their presence known during Moscow's bloody gay pride. And they raised more eyebrows when they announced they were going to wash a river to rid it of so-called gay pollutants. Their park patrols, however, may be the most insidious of their plots against the gays. As we reported, anti-gay youths have been patrolling a local "cruising" area in an effort to reclaim their public space. While on the surface these sentinels may appear to be simply homophobes, NY Times puts the rise of Russian homophobia in a larger context. |
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Asks General Prosecutor To Look Into Making Up Charges
Deeply offended by Alexeyev's actions, Chuev claims calling someone "gay" on television constitutes a crime. Which crime, however, remains to be seen. He wrote on his blog, “Let the investigators now to find out which crime there is in his actions”. Gotta love that Russian sense of justice. |
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Get Nasty With Activists
Rather than admitting the injustice, overzealous coppers claimed the queers' were too close to a construction area, according to The Independent… |
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Pray The Gay Away
Coordinator Yuri Ageshchev of the Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods explains that they wanted "to clean the Moscow River from the filth that filled the river after the trip of a big company of homosexuals that took place on the same route and on the same motor ship". Those Russian zealots sure do take their anti-gay environmentalism seriously. A similar group recently made it it's mission to rid a public park of those stinking queers. Unfortunately for them, however, the queers fought back. |