Anti-Gay Bill Takes Russia Back to the Middle Ages
This is quite an article from The Mosow Times critical of the Russian Parliament, the Duma, for advancing a bill that would prohibit possibly any mention or display of homosexuality in Russia. In particular the article is critical of President Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting the bill.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/anti-gay-bill-takes-russia-back-to-middle-ages/475364.html#ixzz2KpPFOuCg
The Moscow Times
"Working closely with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Putin regime is deliberately playing to the primitive stereotypes, ignorance and hatred of the conservative majority, actively bearing down on all forms of dissent and nontraditional behavior, focusing their efforts on residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities. The attack on homosexuals is only a small battle in the larger war against the "creative class," the opposition and other dissenters who gave the Kremlin such a bad scare during the mass protest rallies last year. "
Ukraine to ban discrimination against gays, says foreign minister
In order to facilitate further integration into Europe, Ukraine must adopt policies and laws which prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians. The foreign minister, Leonid Kozhara, believes that some of the strongest opposition to adopting the new laws will come from the Orthodox Church.
Enacting an anti-gay law in Russia
Almost any mention of homosexuality in Russia could be a crime if a new proposed law is passed by the Russian parliament. With full support from the Russian Orthodox Church, the government espects to enact this very prohibitive piece of legislation. Various protests against the law by LGBT groups have met with violent protests.
"The legislation being pushed by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church would make it illegal nationwide to provide minors with information that is defined as "propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism." It includes a ban on holding public events that promote gay rights. St. Petersburg and a number of other Russian cities already have similar laws on their books."
Violence arrests disrupt gay-rights protest in Ukraine
The Ukrainian parliament is debating an “anti-gay” propaganda bill. Worried that young people might become gay or lesbian by watching gay parades or reading about gay people in the press, the Ukrainian government is considering eliminating all demonstrations of gay people and gay life in public. This is similar to actions being taken in the Russian government. The links below (in English and Ukrainian) give a broader understanding of the recent debates and protests.
“Six LGBT-rights protesters and several counter-protesters were reportedly arrested today in Ukraine during a gathering to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The theme of the 100-person protest in Kiev was “Say NO to Legislative Violence against Human Rights,” which focuses on a bill before the parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) that would prohibit “gay propaganda.”
Faith and Equity Video
You may want to watch this very short video from Faith and Equality. I do not usually place non-Orthodox material on this page however, this simple video is direct and speaks to the prime message of Christ – love.
Orthodox want to close gay clubs in Moscow
In light of the new laws which prohibit “homosexual propaganda” Orthodox Christians have been calling upon the Moscow city government to close all gay clubs and establishments in the city.
“A group of Russian Orthodox believers on Monday called for the closure of all gay clubs in Moscow as part of the drive to ban the promotion of homosexuality. The People's Council, a nationalist Orthodox organization, said in a statement that homosexuality is "a grave sin" and that it was seeking to close gay clubs that "entice fragile members of society into the gay community," Interfax reported.
Serbia cancels Gay Pride after violent threats
Canceled for a second year in a row, Serbian Orthodox Patrirach Irinej called upon the Serbian government to ban this year’s planned gay pride march, and labeled it a “parade of shame”.
“A gay pride parade that was scheduled to take place Oct. 6 in Belgrade, Serbia, was canceled after ultra-nationalists threatened the march following condemnation by the country's Orthodox Church.”
Read More
Ukraine votes for anti-gay propaganda bill
The parliament of Ukraine voted to ban all “homosexual propaganda”. Violators can be fined and are subject to prison sentences of up to 5 years. Under interpretations of the law, even discussing the prevention of HIV would be prohibited.
“The Ukraine parliament today approved an “anti-gay propaganda” bill by a near-unanimous vote. The bill was passed 289-0, with one abstention and 60 deputies absent.”
Pray the gay away: St. Petersburg politician claims fasting and prayer a ‘cure’
A deputy of the legislature in Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg claims that being gay is simply a bad habit that can be erased by fasting and prayer – in other words, it is an evil.
“The author of the St. Petersburg bill banning gay propaganda continued his crusade by claiming in an interview that homosexuality is a bad habit that can be treated by fasting and prayer.
While speaking on the popular Russian talk radio show Ekho Moskvy, deputy Vitaliy Milonov of the St Petersburg city legislature said that homosexuality is an illness, which can be cured. He likened same-sex attraction to “a bad habit.”
Read More
Armenia's Homophobic Deputy Speaker Needs a Lesson in Christianity
The Deputy Speaker of Armenian Parliament is defending an attack on a gay-friendly bar in the country’s capital, Yerevan, as “right and justified”. The attack included the use of a home-made bomb. Mr. Sharmazanov claims that his views are based in Christian teachings and supported by the Armenian Apostolic Church. One might be against expressions of homosexual love, but does Christianity or the Armenian Church actually condone attacking and hurting people?
“as a Christian man I am against any unchristian and unlawful conduct, including homosexuality.” He later added “if the Bible accepts homosexuality, I am ready to go back on my word... In May, the home-made bomb attack on the gay-friendly DIY Rock Pub and the subsequent verbal assaults on the participants of the Diversity March, mistakenly dubbed as a gay march by neo-conservatives, stirred a national debate both in Armenia and in the affluent diaspora. Commenting on the unprecedented uproar against the hate crime, Sharmazanov said “[…] homosexuals have created a den of perversion in our country and have a goal of alienating the society from its moral values, completely right and justified."
Controversial Anti-Gay Legislation in Russia
A short summary of what is happening in Russia around the new and controversial anti-gay legislation. From the Russian Parliament to Madonna – everyone has a strong opinion about how far freedom of expression can go in Russia. The article is a good starting point for a review of recent events regarding this issue.
“An widely-condemned ban on "homosexual propaganda" has been in effect in the Russian cities of St Petersburg, Samara and Arkhangelsk and elsewhere for several months. The law prohibits public statements endorsing gay, bisexual and transsexual lifestyles.”
LGBTI rights in Eastern Europe: Between Hope and Despair
This is an excellent, short summary of the recent laws passed against gay people in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and other Eastern European countries. While not an exhaustive list or analysis of recent anti-gay governmental actions, it does give you an idea of where these traditionally Orthodox countries might be heading.
“When in early June Vladimir Putin signed the draconian law restricting freedom of assembly in Russia, an escalade of international criticism followed. Laws that ban promoting homosexuality, already adopted in four Russian regions, have attracted less attention. However, they are just as disturbing, especially as national parliaments in Russia and Ukraine are about to adopt similar laws. Six Moldovan localities have likewise prohibited “aggressive propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientations"
Orthodox activists urge Facebook ban over gay wedding icons
Believing that Facebook popularizes homosexuality among younger people, a group of Russian Orthodox faithful have called for a boycott of the popular social media site. They want to ban Facebook over the use of same-sex “icons” that users place on their page to indicate their same-sex marriage status.
“Russian religious activists have demanded Facebook be banned in the country over “gay propaganda” among minors and have launched a campaign to criminalize homosexuality. The scandal erupted earlier this month after the popular social networking website introduced same-sex marriage status icons: one depicting two brides, the other two grooms.”
Ukraine’s Parliament Backs Away From Controversial ’Gay Gag Rule’
Read more about this controversial law that did not pass in Ukraine. Your prayers and efforts are needed to make sure that gay people are not silenced in Ukraine - or anywhere in the world.
"Members of Ukraine’s Parliament did not vote on a controversial law that would make it illegal for people to talk about LGBT issues in public. Law 8711, also known as the "gay gag rule," would prohibit the "spread homosexuality" by "holding meetings, parades, actions, demonstrations and mass events aiming at intentional distribution of any positive information about homosexuality."
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Is this site a Spoof? I couldn’t work that out? The Moscow Times ? The most anti-Christian paper in Russia?
Surely this is a joke
Thanks
1 am Greek Orthodox or was as have left the church for good although not CHRIST . I have become sickened as psychologist at the hate and prejudiced ignorance spouted by the Orthodox Church not to mention the hypocrisy and affluent life style of many of its leaders . They specialise in confusing and adding together several separate things as the legal right for a gay person to live their life in society equal to next person and marriage and legal union and lose their chance to have an influence on the debate in society about how we might live .
The actions of 4% -8% of society are irrelevant to the future of marriage etc which has more to do with the turning away from this by heterosexuals for many economic and other reasons . Nor does it deal with the smart use of pedophilia in selling music and fashion and in the sexualisation of children that goes on apace .
Above all it is the ignorance and use of a small group to use as hate figure for their own ends as with Jews in nazi Germany. And would they not do that if today it were possible ?
Why do they ignore the scientific consensus and one’s own understanding that gayness is something one is born into and formed in UTERO as heterosexuality with nurture forming HOW we will live either orientation . Is it because to accept this they would have to condemn God? And they are not even logical because should not according to their logic the parents of gay children be going to confession for the sin of making gay children ? Above all even keeping to their traditional hormone uninformed ore scientific primitive thinking , where is. Christ in all this who saved the adulteress from stoning and told to go away and sin no more . However gayness is not an action by choice but a sense of being as heterosexuality and is not arrested development as pedophilia which is not a gay thing but something seen across the board and actually the typical pedophile is a heterosexual male known to family??
That the church stands by all this prejudice and hate fermenting a gay baiting to equal Jew baiting says all we need to know . Thank God I have walked from a church that has forgotten its own suffering under communism and now offers same and who only response to reason is silence or hate . Good. He and good riddance