Rainbow Report on Putin’s Anti-Gay Pogrom
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Russian MP Yelena Mizulina, author of the Russian law against ‘promotion of non-traditional sexual relations’ – and now she wants to take away our kids
In case you hadn’t noticed – and it seems most people haven’t, or don’t care – Vladimir Putin’s Russian government has turned on its gay community with a vengeance.
Life for the Russian LGBTI community is beginning to resemble the life of the Jewish community in 1930s Germany.
Sweeping anti-gay laws make any public statement or action which could be seen as approving of homosexuality – wearing a rainbow symbol, for example – punishable by a fine, jail, and, in the case of foreigners, deportation.
There’s even talk of bringing in laws to remove children – biological and adopted – from gays, lesbians, and same-sex couples.
There have been brutal breakups of Pride marches, a spate of extremely brutal beatings and murders, even an online entrapment scam by a ‘patriotic’ skinhead gang.
In the rest of the world this has sparked a rash of petitions, an international day of action on Saturday at Russian embassies and consulates, and a boycott of Russian vodka. So far, Oz has signed up for the vodka thing.
So this week the Rainbow Report talks to the leader of Gay Russia, Nikolai Alexeev, currently in Geneva, to the organiser of the biggest petition against Putin, Hayley Conway of AllOut dot org, in New York, and to expat Aussie Ed Jardine, leader the demonstration outside Russia’s London Embassy on Saturday.
To help us understand what’s going on I’m joined by Dr Graham Willett from the Unversity of Melbourne, and keeper of the gay and lesbian archives.
ACTIONS
Puttin’ Out for Putin Friday August 2 Martin Place Elizabeth St, Sydney – a good old fashioned Kiss-In!
Leading Russian LGBTI rights activist Igor Yasin from Equality March will speak via Skype to a free public meeting about what is happening in Russia on the ground. Fitzroy Town Hall, Sunday 18th August. Starting at 7pm.
A coalition of gay sports groups, including the Gay Games, have rejected calls for a boycott of Sochi 2014, instead calling on the IOC to run the Pride House, which was previously rejected by the Russian courts.
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PS Nikolai doesn’t want an Olympic boycott but he would like our US listeners to sign this White House petition:
Put ELENA MIZULINA and VITALY MILONOV on the visa ban list for their role in creating Russia’s ban on “gay propaganda”
According to Russian LGBT activists, ELENA MIZULINA, are, respectfully, the State Duma deputy responsible for the federal law banning gay “propaganda” to minors and for the law banning foreign adoptions of Russian orphans by gays and lesbians, while VITALY MILONOV is St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly deputy responsible for the law banning gay “propaganda” to minors in St. Petersburg. The Secretary of State can place both Ms. Mizulina and Mr. Milonov on the visa ban list under his own authority and we respectfully request that the President direct Secretary of State Kerry to do so
UPDATE
Nikolai reports: Russian Investigation department officially called me to the interrogation in the criminal case initiated by deputies of Russian State Duma Elena Mizulina and Olga Batalina [for bringing them into disrepute by launching this petition – Ed]. You haven’t yet signed or distributed the petition of the White House? It is really time for that!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:52 — 44.7MB)
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