Warm praise to Nikolai Alekseev and the other organisers of today’s Gay Pride mini-march in Moscow. Having been banned for the last five years by Mayor Luzhkov, Putin and Medvedev, and after an appalling catalogue of political violence and persecution, activists managed to hold a ten minute street demo in Moscow today with nobody injured or arrested. This was achieved by posting false trails all across the web as to where it would be, and by activists buying new clean mobile phones in the last day to organise it.
Many congratulations also to Peter Tatchell, who went across to help and has become a tremendous advocate of human rights worldwide. Peter said of the banning of the march:
“It is the latest of many suppressions of civil liberties that happen in supposedly democratic Russia. Many other protests are also denied and repressed, not just gay ones. Autocracy rules under President Medvedev,”
It is also worth noting that the British Embassy refused to help, including refusing to host a gay social on Embassy premises to mark Moscow gay pride day. That is an appalling failure – typical of the FCO – to show support for the rights we are supposed to espouse.
Good for them!
I must admit that I didn’t always like Peter Tatchell. Some of his behaviour seemed a bit too juvenile and attention-seeking at times. But he has always stuck close to his principles and never sold-out for an easier ride. [And the same praise can be extended to the blog owner here]. In fact, I am sure that he’s made things easier for gay people in Britain and has attempted the far more difficult job of changing attitudes in Russia and elsewhere. The job has become more and more difficult, I think, as certain sections of the Left have become more hostile towards him as if he were the enemy in a brand new battle of a new identity politics.
Well, I would hope that everyone here will be on his side against reactionary, homophobic exoticists.
Peter Tatchell’s behaviour had to be sometimes juvenile and attention seeking in order to get the publicity needed. He has also put himself in the way of personal danger and physical violence and as such has to be applauded and recognised for the cause he has fought for.
“Peter Tatchell’s behaviour had to be sometimes juvenile and attention seeking in order to get the publicity needed. He has also put himself in the way of personal danger and physical violence and as such has to be applauded and recognised for the cause he has fought for.”
I know, I know! And I now respect him for it.
Curious did you host a Gay Pride event in Tashkent Craig? Would look in the book but it’s on loan 🙂 Also better news out of Malawi (I stop at calling it good news but it’s a start)
paul
I didn’t, but then nobody asked me to – I would have if asked. I hosted plenty of other dissidents, frequently.
A country that big and few handful of poofsters turn up to represent the clan?
They should be all ashamed of themselves.
Now that guy on the Gay Pride march in Moscow with the placard is a dead ringer for David Laws n’est pas?
Which means we as taxpayers paid for the trip,the seedy hotels and nightclubs on which the gay sponger claimed expenses!
Just thought you would of been quite a hit wearing your kilt and all 🙂
“Ringer” sounds like a homophobic reference to me.
Steelback you’re making oblique reference to rings and ringtailing-whatever next-rimming?
Get thee hence thou homophobe! Thou belongest not here amongst this Lavender Convention.
Thou shall not throw thy (brown) hat in this ring!
These Liberals have always camped around you know.
Remember Jeremy Thorpe with the brown hat, the male model and the shaving foam?
Scott, the model, blackmailed Thorpe for years and was paid to keep quiet by the Liberal party hierarchy.
When the money ran out Thorpe paid to have Scott murdered by a hitman.The killer was so incompetent when he tracked Scott across Dartmoor he only managed to kill Scott’s poodle.
Then it all came out in court and then the shit really hit the fan!
Scott was a life-long Fulham fan and evidently this is what brought he and Thorpe together.
They were both cottagers!
I worked at a Gay Pride in Brighton few years ago. As a steward.(sort of cash in hand) It wasn’t pleasant.
Awful music.
At £6 an hour, it was my job to stop the shagging
in the bushes.
While doing 20 other jobs.
Like reporting on my radio –
“unlicensed vodka jelly vendor”!
Escuze me Massa Craig.
Mitey sorry bout Massa tungstein being an out an’ out homofobe! He bin likka dat ev’sin we fownd out bout all our sentors and repsentives up in DC all bein’ blackmaled on ‘count dere sexule peckadilloes.
Massa tung wen jussa hit de dam roof wenna he herd bout dat Lindsey Graham bein’ a fag too.tung say dassa bout lassa straw he gon take.
I gon jussa try an reign Massa tung in now.
We still enjoyn Larry’s wife,yawl!
Funny how yawl in Inglan got some fine mess gwine down wit yo finanshal sec,Massa Laws.
Here Stateside, up in Chicago speshlly, dey all mutterin’ bout Presdent Obama and Massa Rahm Emmanuel ridin’ roun’ some uptown country club.
Dey listin’ all da Presdent’s sex partnas down da years. Taint many wimmin dare t’all.
Massa tungsen screemin’ homephobic blue murder down home rite now!
http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/washington-insider-obama-member-of-chicago-gay-mans-club/
Golly gosh; with moral giants like Craig and Peter, who needs democracy to determine right from wrong?
Let me know when they go on a ‘No Special Privileges for us’ march; now that would be something to be proud about.