Sometimes, this whole violent Russia problem just seems like a dumb misunderstanding that could be cleared up with just a few words.
“Please do not touch kids,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (pictured) pleaded this week in a remark aimed at LGBTs. This is a reasonable thing to ask of people who you think are pedophiles! The only problem, of course, is that LGBTs are not actually pedophiles.
Somehow, it’s just become an undisputed Russian belief that gay people want to molest children. How did this happen? We have no idea. Maybe cultural leaders wanted to attack gays and decided that was an effective myth to spread.
It’s not just a danger to LGBTs. It’s also embarrassing to Russians that their leaders cling to this false belief — it’s as if a whole country believed that Jews eat babies, or that all Mexicans are lazy. The world is looking in in horror as a whole country attacks a minority for reasons that are entirely made-up.
How about we take this to the next level?
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His full remarks: “We are all grownups, and any adult has his or her right to understand their sexual activity. Please do not touch kids. That’s the only thing. During the opening ceremony, during the closing ceremony, during the sports events, I hope that we will not see such problems.”
Yes. Good point. We too hope that there will be no gay-touching of kids during the opening ceremony. That certainly would be strange, wouldn’t it? And also wildly unlikely. In fact, it would be unlikely in any circumstance, since gay people aren’t pedophiles. Gay men generally like body hair and muscles and tallness and deep voices and, you know, secondary sexual characteristics. Could someone just please take the entire country of Russia aside and explain this to them?
UPDATE: A reader informs us that our translation isn’t quite right, and Kozak’s actual meaning is even worse:
While “?? ???????? ?????” (“Ne trogayti detey”) could mean exactly what you wrote, in this context it means something else. ” Trogat’ ” is a verb that can mean “to touch” or “to affect, to disturb”. Mr. Kozak means the second meaning. He is saying ” We don’t discriminate against anyone. Do what you want. But do it in front of adults. But leave children out of it.”
Under that reading, it’s no longer an accusation of pedophelia (yay!), but instead an insinuation that seeing any evidence of gay men and women is somehow harmful to children (boo).
Any way you look at it, Russia still has a problem with widespread belief that LGBTs are harmful to children.
BlackHouston
There goes my trip to Russia! I suppose I’m left to touch kids down here in TX since I’m barred from doing that in Sochi. Damn Putin and Kozak for getting to the bottom of our global gay agenda.
Cam
It isn’t a Russian belief, it’s their B.S. way of trying to pretend that the laws they put in place weren’t just excuses to fire up the ignorant country voters there by handing them a group to hate and attack.
Putin’s poll numbers were down especially in the cities and suddenly he hands them gays to hate, end of story.
Dawson
A history of hating ethnicities. Do we really thing we are going to change this culture of hate? What we can do is boycot all Russian produces. Please lets see a list of Russian owned businesses. Unless their business community does something besides double talk to get us to buy their products let’s stop buying all things Russian.
stadacona
This is what happens when a European country runs out of Jews.
Caleb in SC
@Cam: Exactly, a classic case of scapegoating.
MK Ultra
While your reader who corrected the Russian part may be correct, the fact is the Russia is trying heavily to connect homosexuality to pedophilia and this just confirms that.
Christiano
I am extremely disappointed to see that the modest reforms implemented during the Gorbachev and Yeltsin regimes have virtually been erased in favor of extremism and intolerance. I know that the Russian populace tends to lean towards social conservatism, however, I thought that their politicians and public figures would somewhat resist the extremist ideology of the religious fanatics among them.
Merv
“Gay men generally like body hair and muscles and tallness and deep voices”
Depends on your definition of body hair. I like pubic hair, and underarm hair, but I’m not too fond of chest hair, and don’t like back hair at all.
Muscles can be nice, but so can lack of muscles. It’s fat I can do without. Height doesn’t matter too much to me.
Voices are kind of irrelevant. Deep, medium, or high, it’s all the same.
jimbryant
It’s as if all the in-bred people of Russia have come together to form a government and enact laws.
Respect4all
I guess those of us who like touching children will have to go somewhere safer to do it, like the Vatican.
MK Ultra
You’ll probably see a homophobic troll named “Mel” come on here (10X worse than Jimbyrant) and wildly demand all gays go to Russia, deny that homophobia is Russia is out of control, and then make an irrelevant claim about the US
That’s Russian troll style.
Harley
@Respect4all: Good point. How’s the Catholic Church doing in Russia these days. Are the priest getting beat down in the streets? No? How about the churches being torched. No? There is clear evidence of pedophelia in that organization. Maybe Scott Lively is a catholic. IDK.
Mel
@MK Ultra:
Except I never said any of that.
Should gays go to Russia? Only if you want to see Russia. It isn’t Palm Springs but it isn’t Hitler’s Germany either. It’s safe in the run down sort of way that most of world is like. But I’m sure Adler (Sochi) is very smart right now given the billions spent on it.
Homophobia in Russia? If you weren’t trolling, you would admit that Ukraine is just as bad. Are you still going to be bitching about Russia when the World Cup is held in Qatar – you know that rich country where homosexuality is punishable by death?
Daniel-Reader
Politicians who violate the human rights of millions of people – including the human rights of millions of gay children – should be removed permanently.
MK Ultra
@Mel: Lol, classic Russian homophobic troll. Deflect to the Middle East. You know in the Middle East they don’t set up safaris to hunt gays like the degenerates do in Russia?
It takes a lot to prove a man is homosexual in Qatar.
In Russia, you’re average street thug is judge, jury, and executioner.
Why are you still trolling for Russia? Why do you advocate gays go to Russia to be beaten? So they can look over the shoulder every two seconds in case a Russian degenerate makes them a target?
Troll harder for Russia, durak
MK Ultra
@Mel: it’s really gross and indecent that on an article about a Russian politician once again connecting gays and pedophilia, you are still worshiping Russia like a crazed fanatic and demanding we all do to.
Mel
@MK Ultra:
LOL you need to keep taking your meds
MK Ultra
@Mel: You need to stop yelling at clouds…
Billysees
Good article to read.
Conclusion —
“Any way you look at it, Russia still has a [very serious] problem with widespread belief that LGBTs are harmful to children.
Brackets mine.
Jules1949
Well Rudolf Nureyev was openly gay and a big star. And so are some of the Olympic team! But still politicians are a bunch of hypocrites. And as for harming children, statistics prove it is mainly heterosexuals, not gays! Arabs kill homosexuals in some countries like Iran (though Iranians are not Arabs, but Aryians and Shiites) and in Morocco loads of men fuck other men! Read ‘Magic Lobsters and Flying Tagines’. Also, ‘The delights of the Heart’ by Ahmed al Tifschri (Baghdad 14th Century) – (expensive now). If you want something cheaper read ‘The Hellespont’ coming out story full of Greek myths. And any gay Russians should look at GayArtz.blog there is a mention there of the Russians are cumming!