St. Petersburg bans propaganda of 'sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism'

Being gay hasn’t been a crime in Russia since the Soviet era, but Orthodox Church leaders are successfully pushing anti-gay legislation. Last week, St. Petersburg became the fourth Russian city to pass a law banning “homosexual propaganda,” a vague measure that effectively bans gay pride parades.  

The law criminalizes “public action aimed at propagandizing sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism, and transgenderism among minors,” the Guardian reported. Those who break the law could be fined up to $16,000, the Christian Science Monitor reported.

Dmitry Pershin, who heads the Church’s youth council, told the Guardian the law would help “protect children from information manipulation by minorities that promote sodomy." Close allies of Vladimir Putin, the president-elect, support federal anti-gay laws.

Yury Gavrikov, the head of the gay rights group Equality, said that Russian higher-ups tend to quash any group that stands up for its rights, the Guardian reported.

"The main goal seems to be limiting the rights of those who engage in social activity,” Gavrikov told the Guardian. “But in its widest sense, it can mean limiting exhibits, plays, film showings – cultural activities."

Polina Savchenko, a gay-rights activist in St. Petersburg, told the Christian Science Monitor that no legal experts have been able to explain to her how the law would be applied in practice.

"There is a fear that it will be used as an instrument to prevent any kind of activity the state doesn't approve of,” Savchenko said. “The language of the law is so vague that it could apply to any kind of public discourse, any discussion of gay issues, in almost any venue. I mean, how can you be sure that minors won't access the Internet, or read mass media discussions?"

Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993 but hostility remains. Gay pride parades have been banned in Moscow, according to ThinkProgress.org; in May, when activists marched anyway, police moved in and beat up 30 people.

 

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Discuss this post

See? Right-wing christians in the US have a lot more in common with the Soviets than you thought! They hate a lot of the same people that right-wing christians do!!

  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:56 PM EDT

DMorgan to even compare the two shows your ignorance! Here you always have the right to practice whatever you want and have any parade you want. Why don't you compare apples to apples?

Just because other people have different opinions than you, you consider them right-wing christians? Typical left-wing crap.

  • 7 votes
#1.1 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:21 AM EDT

Both wings are full of idiots, and anti-homosexuals (on the public level) are the worst.

  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:14 AM EDT

"Soviets"? Are you calling the Russian Orthodox Church, which was oppressed by the soviets, soviet? You are an...

  • 2 votes
#1.3 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:31 AM EDT

We don't hate anyone. We just want you to leave us alone. Stop targetting our children for your way of life. We don't want our children pretending to be women and confused about their own belief systems. In order for you to propogate your homosexual lifestyle classes, you have to first teach our children that we lied to them. THAT is not going to happen.

    #1.4 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:44 PM EDT

    If you taught them that the bible condemns homosexuality, you did lie to them, and yourself. Study the original words.

      #1.5 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 3:58 PM EDT
      Reply

      Good for them - that is what is being done to the youth in America.

      • 6 votes
      Reply#2 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:06 AM EDT

      I don't care if you are gay or lesbian, but I agree they are pushing too much their agenda. Today I read about a lesbian girl issue, because she wore a t-shirt with a "Lesbian girls are cooler" sign, it is not enough to be equal, they now have to claim superiority and incite other girls to be lesbians in order to be cooler, I think that is infringing my daughter's right to not be a lesbian

      • 2 votes
      #2.1 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:39 AM EDT

      Way to overextend and overanalyze, dude.

        #2.2 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:58 PM EDT
        Reply

        There's nothing wrong with a little gay bashing... lol

        • 5 votes
        Reply#3 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:05 AM EDT

        At least some people left in the world with some sense,I think some or most of our politicians need to take notes from the Russians and get our nation back on the right track,stop this wholesale of *Gay*rights I find it very offensive and repulsive that I must have to see, listen, or read about any of this immoral trash

        • 2 votes
        Reply#4 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:05 AM EDT

        Then move to Russia.

        Your morality does not, will not, and never has determined my beliefs or activities.

        Signed,

        A straight, moderate, agnostic male

        • 1 vote
        #4.1 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:16 AM EDT
        Reply

        Maybe they will require everyone they think is different or gay be branded with a pink triangles. Then they can open the camps with the ovens.........Next they will come for you!

        • 1 vote
        Reply#5 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:53 AM EDT

        Jeffrey, you mean re- open the camps. Well minus the ovens, in the Gulag thye prefered to work you to death.

        • 2 votes
        #5.1 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:06 AM EDT

        Just stay away from our children. We don't care where you put your privates, and we don't care if you don't like us and our opinions. We don't even care that you are the ones who began calling us talibans. We want you to have wonderful lives, not procreating, and not attempting to influence our children with what you consider to be normal.

          #5.2 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:48 PM EDT

          You are misrepresenting the threat, when you place the burden of prohibition on "homosexuals". You are missing the many, many, many - overwhelming number of offenders are Heterosexual.

          I do understand the agony which any parent might find if or more likely - when their child is discovered to be homosexual. For the vast majority of pre-teen to 20-somethings, there are some confusing mental issues likely to come up. In their ignorance, naivete, innocence - some kids may "walk on the wild side". It happens, get over it.... It may take some time but understand that every one who goes on a trip to a foreign country - intended to give you there "citizenship" ... those will come back home sooner or later.

          When you actually check the records - you'll find overwhelming evidence that "Heterosexuals" are the greatest threat to your child's identity! It hurts to see them trying to swim in a trouble sea, when they have never learned how to swim in the shallow end of the pool yet.

          You'll do better to watch heterosexual predators than worry as much as do - about your kid tasting wild fruits.

          Coaches, Priest, Senators, politicians - for some reason they seem to get a free pass ... while people keep insisting that the "danger" is exclusively presented by those people. (be real carful about them TV evangalist preachers - seems every few months, another one is getting caught)

          I would hate to learn, second had that one of my kids had been involve, but I'll still keep my parental eye out for both genders ... the unease I feel when I hear about child predators, is more likely to be coming from people who slip under the radar... those costume, flamboyant "creatures" out there are not the only threat, they are not even the biggest threat.

          The most dangerous snake in the wild is not the coral snake or rattle snake - its bright colors, let you know up front something is wrong - that there is danger.

          What you need to watch out for are the ones which don't call attention or give off a warning. They strike from ambush ...you never even see them coming. Lets not fool ourselves, If you are too busy watching out for the obvious... you'll miss the silent ones wearing uniforms, habits, badges... you let down your guard and they strike.

            #5.3 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:27 PM EDT
            Reply

            One city in Russia passes a law and this is news?

              Reply#6 - Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:06 PM EDT

              Thats what the California Dolphin said to the Pacific Tuna.

              Of course, we needn't mention that Dolphin is NOT on the menu.

                #6.1 - Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:17 PM EDT

                skunky: They look for anything they can grab onto to denigrate a "breeder." They have turned Christians into taliban, based upon the dark ages, they have influenced every area of social work in order to justify being able to adopt, they want to force their way into our schools, even though we don't want them near our children, and they are influencing the school curriculums, so far only in California, based upon their perceptions of bullying. They seek ever single avenue that they can find to justify themselves for targetting our children.

                  #6.2 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:52 PM EDT
                  Reply

                  Gee, this sounds just like what NC voters imposed here.

                    Reply#7 - Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:25 PM EDT
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