MOSCOW PRIDE MAYHEM
Gay activists were attacked and arrested on Saturday while trying to hold a banned Pride parade in central Moscow.
The group of Pride participants, holding up gay flags and signs reading “Russia is not Iran” and “Russia without homophobia”, were harassed and attacked by right-wing and religious orthodox anti-gay protestors outside City Hall, near the Kremlin wall.
“I went to City Hall but was separated from our protest group,” said British LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
“Neo-Nazis identified me for attack. Being alone and without police protection, I had to escape down side streets and alleyways to avoid a beating.”
Police stepped in and arrested a number of people, including international gay rights supporters Andy Thayer, Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin, as well as Moscow gay Pride committee member Anna Komarova and other Russian gay activists.
According to Tatchell, Choi, a former US military officer who was dismissed from the American armed forces because of his homosexuality, “was violently manhandled by police. He was wrestled to the ground and punched.”
Choi later tweeted with his cell phone from a jail cell that he had ringing and minor bleeding in his right ear but was otherwise well.
Police collusion with Neo-Nazis?
Head Moscow Pride organiser Nikolai Alekseev was not arrested and was said to be in a ‘safe house’. He did not participate in the parade due to a leg injury.
Tatchell accused the police of colluding in the attack against Pride activists, saying that he witnessed fraternisation and collusion between the anti-gay demonstrators and the Moscow police.
“I saw neo-Nazis leave and re-enter police buses parked on Tverskaya Street by City Hall,” said Tatchell.
“Our suspicion is that many of the neo-Nazis were actually plainclothes police officers, who did to us what their uniformed colleagues dared not do in front of the world’s media. Either that, or the police were actively facilitating the right-wing extremists with transport to the protest.”
Moscow police announced that a total of 18 gay activists and 14 Pride opponents had been arrested. UK Gay news reported that by 8pm on Saturday all Pride participants had been released and there were no serious injuries reported.
City authorities have repeatedly refused to issue licenses to hold gay Pride parades in the city for six years, citing security concerns, negative public opinion and even claims that children would be psychologically damaged if they witnessed the event.
Moscow’s former mayor previously described gay Pride parades as “satanic”.
Watch video footage below of police and anti-gay protestors disrupting Saturday’s Moscow Pride event.
Where is the Mr Gay World in all of this?. I am Russian gay man. Your country delivered 2 Mr Gay World past 3 years. We get oppressed here in Russia. No where we see Mr Gay World speaking and take leadership in this. This title is useless. We were told Mr Gay World is ambassador against homophobia. If so, why is Mr Gay World running away from conflict areas against gays. It is really shoking calling yourself Mr Gay World, but you run away when you must defend gay rights WORLD WIDE !!!!!!!
WE WANT A STATEMENT FROM MR GAY WORLD!. Agreed!
Where is Mr Gay Worlds Voice?
See previous remarks. See previous remarks
Here it is. https://francoisnelmrgaysa2010.wordpress.com/
Agreed. What is the point of Mr Gay World if he’s not doing anything? He should have been at the March in Russia. He should be visiting townships and meeting rapes lesbians…. It’s all fine and well to have glitzy pageants – but then there’s the hard work that needs to be done. Budget needs to be allocated to this work – and not to the stupid pageants and shows.
See previous comments. He did indeed do just that during his visit to Cape Town for Cape Town Pride. Please see the references on Facebook.
Please also note that to get him to Russia would have been a huge expense – and as both organisations rely entirely on donations, there are just no funds for anything like that. If the Russians paid for his flight ticket, we would of course have made plans to get him there.
It is easy to say BE there, but how? Further, visa requirements for anything like this are very stringent and it is difficult to get, as we now again saw with trying to obtain the Italian visa as these institutions are definitely not pro-gay.
Think a bit further before you make groundless statements.
To our Russian friends. Dear activists in Russia
Please note that it was actually the Mr. Gay South Africa organisation, of which Mr. Gay World 2011, Francois Nel, is also the title holder, who wrote to activists in South Africa like SA GLAAD and overseas like Melanie Nathan, to make them aware of this.
Your criticism is thus unfounded.
It was us who linked Anna Kamarova with Melanie nathan, who is a world-renowned LGBTI journalist and gay rights campaigner, who conducted an interview with Anna.
Further, it was also us and Francois who alerted all our followers (and there are more than 10 000 between all our profiles, groups and pages) on Facebook and Twitter.
Francois also appeared on IDAHO (International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia) at events in South Africa and who also recorded a special video for this – it is on Youtube and garnered more than 1000 views in the first week.
Francois, as Mr. Gay World, will alos travel all over the world in the next two months to highlight the plight of gays all over the world, including Russia. But, it is not the only country in the world where LGBTI people are suffering. You may be arrested and kept overnight, but there are also people who’s verylives are threatened – especially in Africa and he will be highlighting this.
It was stated as our mission for Mr. Gay World 2012 in Johannesburg that we want to primarily focus on the plight of African LGBTIs – where we have threatening life and death issues such as the pending Ugandan Death to Gays Bill.
However, the plight of LGBTI people from all over the world will be highligted, also in Russia.
PS – we have done more than our sure and I do not think that this is the way to make friends, as you do have friends in South Africa.
PS 2 – On our Mr Gay South Africa page on Favcebook, you will see that Francois appears at gay protests, events and gives speeches on gay rights issues at least once every week or two. And will be doing more in the months to come. I will try to post links here after.
Coenie Kukkuk
Mr. Gay South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Director
Francois Nel Itinerary June & July. Francois Nel Itinerary June & July
8 – 13 June EuroPride Rome, Italy
June 23-27: Sao Paulo Pride.
July 25-31: Vancouver OutGames and Human Rights Conference.
These Prides and Conferences will be visited where global LGBTI issues will be discussed. Please note that these were funded by Mr. Gay World Ltd.
PS Mamba does not allow posting links, but you can search our Mr. Gay South Africa page on Facebook, all appearances, protests and charities are listed in the photo album “Out & About”.