Protest At Russian embassy- anti-gay laws and abuse cannot go unchallenged

by freebrad Tue Aug 13, 2013 23:11

While the author here gives him a token mention (making him the exception), I'm disgusted at the US LGBT community's lack of support for Bradley Manning.

by NJGF Wed Aug 14, 2013 00:28

Looking for it.

by NLGF pers cap Wed Aug 14, 2013 00:43

Supporters on Sunday marched to support Bradley Manning Sunday morning in the San Francisco Pride Parade. Contingents also marched in New York and Chicago. Bradley Manning (who himself was an active opponent of the military’s “Dont Ask, Don’t Tell” policy) is being increasingly hailed by LGBT activists as a hero.

Outspoken Army Lieutenant Daniel Choi, who is one of the most active and well known opponents of DADT, recently joined the list, by announcing that he was “proud to stand side by side with Bradley Manning.” Lt. Choi was kicked out of the military a year ago, after coming out on the Rachael Maddow show.

Another vocal supporter is Andy Thayer of the Chicago Gay Liberation Network, who marched at the Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday. He is also a recent member of the advisory board member of the Bradley Manning Support Network. He told Truth-out.org:

“Bradley Manning has stood with the LGBT community before, and we look forward to him marching with us again when he’s free. Bradley has a strong track record of standing up for human rights and equality. If he did what he is accused of—if he released information to the American people that should have been public in the first place—then it’s clear that his motivation was rooted in a commitment to social justice. He’s a hero.”

Thayer’s group marched for Bradley at the Chicago Pride Parade, and supporters also marched at the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday. They were joined by CODEPINK and Veterans for Peace. A very strong contingent is expected at the London Pride Parade on July 2nd.

Chicago Pride

by NLGF pers cap Wed Aug 14, 2013 00:59

In San Francisco, Bradley Manning supporters made up the largest non-corporate sponsored group, consisting of well over a thousand people. Courage to Resist reports:

The contingent featured former military strategist Daniel Ellsberg who in 1971 leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. Ellsberg, adorned with a pink boa, rode on a pickup truck declaring Bradley Manning “The People’s Grand Marshal.”

The contingent featured dozens of supporters riding a trolley car, the Brass Liberation Orchestra marching band, and a synchronized dance group doing a routine to Michael Jackson’s ‘They don’t care about us’. High above Market Street, an airplane dragged a banner reading ‘Our LGTBQ Hero – Bradley Manning’.

In New York City, the Bradley Manning contingent included a street theatre performance with a large moving jail cell and an actor playing Bradley Manning inside it. The theatre performance was organized by playwright Claire Lebowitz. Members of Veterans For Peace also joined the march.

In Chicago, the Gay Liberation Network initiated a “Free Bradley Manning” contingent in this year’s Pride Parade in Chicago — as an opportunity to spread the anti-war message and to defend civil liberties.

In Seattle, the Bradley Manning contingent was placed right near the head of the parade, third from the start.

by NLGF Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:04

Express your solidarity with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in Russia
- send an email to the Russian Embassy !

The Russian authorities have passed recently so called "anti-gay" law which bans anything considered pro-gay: gay rallies, pride parades, holding hands in public by gay people, wearing rainbow suspenders or displaying rainbow flags. Any individual using the internet to share information about LGBT topics can be subject to fines. This law applies also to foreigners visiting Russia. This so called "anti propaganda" law is undoubtedly in conflict with Russia's human rights obligations. This suppression of freedom of speech is inconsistent with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention for Human Rights. The Russian authorities seem to have forgotten that they must respect their international treaty obligations.

The situation in Russia is serious and it is getting worst with time. Basic human rights are trampled. The attitude of the authorities encourages neo-Nazi groups to brutally attack gay people. We can't stand silent seeing what's happening in Russia.It is not only a LGBT issue, it is human right issue.

Express your solidarity with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in Russia - send an email to the Russian Embassy.

Below is a template which you can use to express your protest against breaking human rights in Russia.

Mr Maxim Peshkov
Ambassador of the Russian Federation

I am writing in relation to the recent passage of a law banning the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”, which amounts to a serious assault on the basic rights and freedoms of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender citizens in Russia and on freedom of expression.
This new law is in conflict with Russia's human rights obligations. This suppression of freedom of speech is inconsistent with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention for Human Rights.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms the acts of aggression, attack, public bullying, harassment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, which take place in Russia.
The Russian government must act immediately. The democratically elected authorities have a duty to protect minorities, especially these most vulnerable who are at risk of being exposed to attacks, aggression and intolerance. A state which oppresses and fails to protect its citizens is not a democratic country.

Regards,

Send email now

info@russianembassy.ie

by fryingtonight Wed Aug 14, 2013 19:12

From RT:

UK Prime Minister David Cameron wants to ban sexual propaganda aimed at minors from the internet. Should we boycott Madame Tussaud’s, the London Eye…heck all of London? Why not boycott the UK entirely?

Cameron says internet pornography is 'corroding childhood.' In an amazing admission and appeasement to the companies who will benefit from this; the same ones caught illegally spying, in collusion with Her Majesty’s Government, Cameron said:

"Set your greatest brains to work on this... You're the people who have worked out how to map almost every inch of the Earth from space."

Is this just risibly naked pandering from a sitting Prime Minister throwing cash and influence at corrupt technologists or:

1) He needs more money for his reelection campaign;

2) It’s a plea for a job in the private sector after he’s booted from office;

3) Or is David Cameron actually this clueless?

To give you an idea of how colossally stupid and tone-deaf on technology David Cameron is we hear that TalkTalk, the UK's fourth biggest ISP, will be outsourcing the new Cameron-sponsored censorship to a Chinese company called Huawei using a system called 'Homesafe'.

That’s right, not only does Cameron want UK workers to be paid like sweatshop slaves in China (more on this in a second), but he wants them to be spied on by Chinese Communist Party officials as well. In America we used to have something called ‘impeachment’ before Democracy failed (gone now, unfortunately). In the UK I think the only way to get rid of this clown is if the Queen dumps him. I’m not sure about this, leave comments below.

Speaking of drama queens, I don’t hear Stephen Fry talktalk-ing about this.

It hasn't been a very good week for Britain's funny man. First the Russian LGBT community told Stephen to please ‘Butt Out’ of their gay rights struggle in Russia (pointing out that he was behaving like an overly-ambitious British backed Raj trying to co-opt somebody else's country and identity).

Participants in the LGBT community suport rally on the Champ de Mars in St. Petersburg. (RIA Novosti/Anatoly Medved)

Participants in the LGBT community suport rally on the Champ de Mars in St. Petersburg. (RIA Novosti/Anatoly Medved)

Then he has had to endure the relentless tweets pointing out that Fry never questions the policies of Saudi Arabia, a country Britain has an imperial interest in by selling weapons to, and where homosexuals are put to death. Hello, Hello, Stephen... Are you there?

Additionally, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has also weighed in and told Fry, basically, to please stop talktalk-ing about a boycott. It’s a really dumb idea, according the IOC.

So here we have it. The UK’s Prime Minister outsourcing internet spying chores (on its own citizens) to the Chinese while selling WMD’s to Saudis who execute homosexuals - while at the same time praising tax avoiders (read: criminals) like Google, Amazon, and Starbucks as some kind of entrepreneurial examples we should all follow and Stephen Fry says.... absolutely nothing.

To top it off, Stephen’s friend, the PM, was photographed recently visiting an Amazon warehouse facility in the UK where – as I alluded to earlier; jobs are being redefined as 'zero-hours contracts’ i.e., slave labor. While never mentioning that Amazon recently inked a deal with America’s CIA/MI6 for a $600 million ‘cloud’ surveillance deal that will put duplicitous, insider-trading, morally bankrupt, market manipulating crony capitalists and porn vendors (like Apple Computer) into the households, bank accounts and the House of Commons on behalf of every British citizen to be abused, ripped off and ultimately embarrassed by.

http://rt.com/op-edge/cameron-sexual-propoganda-ban-329/

by fryingtonight Wed Aug 14, 2013 20:03

The article conveniently leaves out the "to minors" bit.
The law is prohibiting "gay propaganda to minors".

Gay sex is totally legal in Russia unlike Saudi Arabia , Bahrain, Kuwait, and many other countries not of interest to Stephen fry and other establishment mouthpieces. Countries where gay people risk execution in fact. But of course as usual, only Russia gets the star treatment in all the media.

The fact is this policy reflects attitudes in Russian society. We may not agree with such conservative attitudes, but politicians are obliged to act on the wishes of their people. it is pretty clear from the third link that Putin is fed up of all this but he still has to reflect the views of the majority in society in legislation.

However it's a great way to bash Russia in western media and confirm and deepen prejudices and suspicions about Russia already sown in a propagandised western public, thus helping to garner support amongst the public for views that contradict those of Russia, such as giving support and weapons to Syrian "rebels" etc.

And the western forces realise that Russia has spent a lot of money on the games at Sootchi so it would be a big political humiliation, were the games to be boycotted. The fact is, the LGBT community are being used by cynical political forces who quite honestly couldn't care less about gay rights.

I'm all for gay rights. Let people do as they wish in the privacy of their own bedrooms. However this is an aspect of Russian culture and society which may take quite a long time to change for the better. The current short term focus of the media is just political opportunism driven by cynical forces who are quite happy at the same time to completely ignore the much worse status quo in Saudi Arabia for gay people. I won't even mention the programs in the US bible belt purporting to "cure" gay kids.

And we've all seen pictures like this from the states:
http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/god_ha...h=507

Much of the US is very conservative too and not exactly the gay paradise we are led to believe is it? But where is the outrage from Stephen Fry? Where are the LGBT worldwide protests and boycotts?

Guess Russia and China just don't have the media clout to create a propaganda drive like this and stir up minority groups and well known high profile celebrities into Irate action whenever they are pissed off at the US behaviour. No LGBT boycotts, no Pussy riot outrage. Zip. Control over global media is indeed a handy tool.

Some links on the topic:

Russian Jews outraged after Stephen Fry compared "gay propaganda to minors" ban to Nazi Germany

http://rt.com/news/russia-jews-fry-comment-396/

Russia's 'gay propaganda' law causes outrage abroad but finds support at home

http://rt.com/news/russia-gay-propaganda-law-069/

President Putin says he is bored with the same sex marriage issue, but ready to sign adoptions ban

http://rt.com/politics/ban-adoptions-sign-ready-210/

Here is info on the actual legisltion:

Putin signs 'gay propaganda' ban and law criminalizing insult of religious feelings

http://rt.com/politics/putin-law-gay-religious-457/

"The Russian President has told reporters he was very tired of their persistent interest in his attitude to same sex marriage, but promised to support the ban on adoptions by foreign same sex couples if parliament approves it.

“You really got me with these same sex marriages. Wherever I go… When I come to Europe they are waving their flags there, I come here – now you start pestering me with this,” the Russian leader told the press at a news conference at the Russia-EU summit in Yekaterinburg.

“As for the bill banning the adoption of Russian children by same sex couples, I currently have no such bill and I have not read it. But if such bill is approved by the national parliament I would sign it,” the president said.

Putin also added that in his view all people must be more tolerant and show less aggression, this equally applies to persons of traditional and non-traditional sexual orientation. “Less aggression and less emphasis on these problems would benefit everybody,” he noted. "

by NLGF Wed Aug 14, 2013 21:18

The law forbids telling minors that being LGBT is normal.

Your red herrings fool no one.

What motivates you people

by NLGF Wed Aug 14, 2013 21:20

Don't you see the difference between pornography and teaching kids that there is nothing wrong with being LGBT?

by Zizek Wed Aug 14, 2013 21:30

It’s a scary place for LGBT people in Russia right now. St. Petersburg Gay Pride, 2013 attacked by Police & fascists.

by Zizek Wed Aug 14, 2013 21:32

at link

by Zizek Wed Aug 14, 2013 22:28

The reality of the law on LGBT Ptopaganda, full story at link.

Kiril Kalugin said he was not frightened, and that he would remain in Russia, despite the charges being brought against him

A gay rights activist who staged a one-man protest against Russian anti-gay laws earlier this month, may be charged with extremist activity, a government official said on Wednesday.

A video was posted online of lone gay rights activist, Kirill Kalugin, being assaulted by a violent group of Russian paratroopers in the city that was the birth place of the country’s anti-gay legislation.

Kalugin was holding a rainbow banner in St Petersburg that read: “This is propagating tolerance” when he was attacked.

St Petersburg state official Vitaly Milonov, who co-authored the law which bans the “promotion” of homosexuality to minors originally adopted in St Petersburg, and other areas, before becoming a federal law in June, said another poster held up by Kalugin which read “Sodom in every home”, constituted extremist behaviour.

“He either mentally ill, or is paid [for his activity]. I’m afraid it’s both,” said Milonov, continuing to say that the activist had used the poster at several rallies, and had posted it online.

Milonov said that Kalugin was at the scrutiny of the authorities, and that chargers were being prepared against him.

by fryingtonight Thu Aug 15, 2013 17:55

Here's some equivalent attitudes towards Gays from the good old US:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alvin-mcewen/we-call-them....html

After a good look at one organization -- the Family Research Council -- and its comments against the The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., one has to wonder just what values are being defended.

"Local groups will try to elect more homosexuals to places of power, push in-school gay-straight alliances, support D.C. sex-oriented businesses, defend adult entertainment, grant special perks to cross-dressing prisoners, force same-sex adoption, and legalize sex trafficking. Lots of people in this country mistakenly believe that this community will be satisfied when it redefines marriage. That's not the case. Homosexuals and transgenders won't be happy until they sever every moral underpinning in America. This has never been about "acceptance" or "equality" but about a devastating strategy meant to destroy innocence, the family, local communities, public health, and parental authority."

The fact is, sadly, anti Gay sentiment is prevalent across all so called civilised democracies. It is especially bad in parts of the religious conservative US. It is certainly not unique to the rather conservative slavic nations.

gays being beaten up in France?:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/09/gay-man-fr...ebook

Here's a list of LGBT hate crimes victims in US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_victims_...rimes

Californian gay man beaten up badly:
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mbf-7Mtb7zk/0.jpg

Hey Stephen Fry, where are you? let's ban baguettes and camenbert! And that moms apple pie too. And Saudi Oil products while you are at it.

There is regular LGBT harassment in the US and in so called civilised countries all across Europe. These are the same hypocrites behind the media hype about the Russian "propaganda to minors" law. But they don't give a shit about gay rights.

Surely you can see that this sudden focus on Russia is propaganda bullshit by countries who happily and silently support the likes of the Saudis who actually KILL gay people.

Gay sex is totally legal in Russia, yet it is here, not Saudi arabia that you decide to focus the spotlight and stage a global wide media campaign to shut down an olympic event. Gays are being used for political ends here which have little to do with rights.

(and how long ago was it when gay sex was illegal in conservative Ireland? not that long ago)

The gay athletes themselves are completely against this campaign. Putin himself has no problems with gays. But he has to legislate for what his rather conservative society wants. We ourselves have stupid abortion and blasphemy laws.

Where is your article on Saudi persecution and execution of gays and your boycott of their oil companies?

by Con Carroll Fri Aug 16, 2013 15:04

we should I hope condemn the attacks against women/men who are gay/lesbian
there is no doubt that there are many gay men along with others who are not gay. who are outraged at what is going on in Russia. which was known as a safe haven for Socialism. how Russia ruling elite have bowed to Western Capitalist interest
there are also other political interests in looking at how Russia treats its, people who are using the gay rights agenda to have a political go at Putin
we who are gay lesbian also need to raise our voices, opposing the rise of the political right. standing in solidarity, with people who have experienced exploitation, murder speeches directed against them