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Russia's first gay pride parade turns violent
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Posted by: Samurai_Bob

Moscow — Gay rights activists were pummelled by right-wing protesters and detained by police Saturday, preventing them from putting on a display of gay pride in defiance of a city ban.
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said in a radio interview Friday gay parades “may be acceptable for some kind of progressive, in some sense, countries in the West, but it is absolutely unacceptable for Moscow, for Russia.”
“As long as I am mayor, we will not permit these parades,” he said.
Police detained the rally's main organizer, Nikolai Alexeyev, as he attempted to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a symbol of Russia's victory against fascism in World War II, just outside the Kremlin wall.
“We are conducting a peaceful action. We want to show that we have the same rights as other citizens,” Mr. Alexeyev had told a news conference a few hours before the rally was to have begun.
But police closed the entrance to the garden where the tomb is located, and the first half-dozen activists arrived carrying flowers were set upon by about 100 religious and nationalist extremists who kicked and punched them.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...ernational/home

Bloody baby steps for a new democracy.
The title is miss-leading.
This is Moscow's first attempt for a gay pride parade, there have been parades before in St. Petersburg without incident.

The Moscow Gay Festival is still going on without incident in the gay district of Moscow with a huge gathering of gays from everywhere worldwide.

Posted by: zaniac

I remember about 2 years ago - by chance - being at a gay pride festival in Cologne, Germany. I don't know how accepted the gay scene is in eastern european countries, but the parade I saw was an eye-opener for me. If it is not as accepted in those parts, as it is in western europe then I guess it would very much provoke some sort of violent act.

From what I remember it was brilliant to watch and witness the enjoyable atmosphere it created. A lovely moment for freedom of expression and nobody cared little for what others thought of them. The night after the parade was brilliant and we all had a great time mixing with people. I met two lesbians from Belgium who were going to get married (or something like that) and they gave me some relationship advice etc. On the day it made me want to travel to following parade in 2005, but I didn't bother to see this through.

I recommend going to one even if your straight, just take some friends if your a little unsure etc.

Posted by: andrei

I wish some day the world turns from standing on its head back to its feet and all gays are taken straight from their parades back to where they belong - the psychiatric clinics. Too bad people don't realise that gays infiltrate the media and culture on purpose to spoil more & more young men. I can't even imagine how in the hell those pieces of crap dare to celebrate their ill sexual orientation that adopts using your anus for wrong purposes.

Damn it feels nice to live in a gay-parade free city. If they would try to pull that sh-t in my hometown I'd be there in the front row of spectators throwing dirt at them.