Marching Gays Corked in Moscow

(Moscow, Russia) In 1993, homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia but it was still considered to be a mental illness as late as 1999. As such, anti-homosexual feelings remain deeply buried throughout the citizenry.

Nevertheless, activists applied for a permit to hold a gay pride parade in Moscow, the only major world capital not to have one. Mayor Yuri Luzhkov denied the permit.

From MOSNEWS.com:

In denying the parade permit Luzhkov said he was concerned about potential violence. But on Russian Radio on Friday he cited moral reasons for the ban. "I believe that such a parade is inadmissible in our country above all for moral considerations. People should not make public their deviations," he said.

Luzhkov also said that there would be no gay parades as long as he was mayor. Others joined in opposition.

Conservatives and Russian Orthodox and Moslem leaders have led a pressure campaign against the march. Russian Patriarch Alexy II has denounced the planned festival and parade, and the leader of Russia's Muslims has called for a "violent mass protest" if gay leaders go ahead with pride celebrations.

By ignoring the ban, the activists got results as promised, chaotic and violent, with more than 1,000 police officers put on full alert.

From WAPO:

Riot police broke up an attempt by gays and lesbians to stage Moscow's first gay pride parade Saturday. Gay activists who attempted to lay flowers near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Kremlin wall and then assemble across from city hall were heckled and assaulted by skinheads, Orthodox Christians and radical nationalists.

Police said they had arrested about 120 people, both supporters and opponents of the parade. Gay activists were dragged away by riot police when they began speaking to reporters, but opponents of the parade, including a nationalist member of parliament, were allowed to speak and chant, "Moscow is not Sodom."

Taken into custody was the leader of the march, 26-year-old Nikolai Alexeyev, who exuberantly claimed the event "an absolute victory."

If Alexeyev is referring to media coverage, yes, the parade was a success. Scores of major media outlets worldwide are carrying the story. However, I'd speculate that the event has pissed off many not-so-law-abiding citizens eager to be sparked into aggressively demonstrating their visceral opposition to homosexuality. This is in an environment where police reportedly look the other way. An absolute victory? Maybe not.

Another thing worth mentioning is the disparity among media outlets on reporting who comprised the opposition to the march. Check this out.

MOSNEWS.com - Conservatives, Russian Orthodox, Moslem leaders

WAPO - skinheads, Orthodox Christians, radical nationalists

CTV - Russian police, neo-fascists, Orthodox Christians

LATimes - right-wing protesters

GayNZ - skinheads and militant Orthodox Christians

San Francisco Chronicle - neo-fascist protesters, skinheads, Russian nationalists, Orthodox Christian fundamentalists

PinkNews.co.uk - fascist thugs and religious fanatics (note: eyewitness account)

Radio Free Europe - Police, Russian Orthodox believers, ultra-nationalists

Now, I would have imagined that somebody actually documented precisely who was there (i.e. Observed were 20 skinheads, 30 Orthodox Christians, etc.), but apparently not.

Notably, one report indicated that Muslims called for a "violent mass protest," yet there is no mention of Muslims protesting. Also notable is that the LATimes simply painted everyone in opposition as "right-wing protesters" when there doesn't seem to be evidence to support that blanket assertion. In fact, it's contrary to the statement that "anti-gay feelings still run deep in the country" which, presumably, would indicate that the opposition includes people other than right-wingers.

My best estimate of the total numbers of people involved is that there were about 50 homosexuals attempting to march, or maybe a few more, and probably no more than 200 protesters of all stripes. I suspect that the media people gathered yesterday in Moscow to cover the spectacle outnumbered the gays and lesbians.

In summary, the banned Moscow gay parade resulted in some skirmishes in the streets involving a few hundred people. Reports vary but it appears that about 100 people, homosexuals and protesters alike, were detained by police and most were later let go. Only minor injuries have been reported. In scale, the whole episode pales when compared to the all-too-frequent soccer riots reported from Europe. Nonetheless, the media is playing it up.