Russia's Arkhangelsk Region Outlaws All Gay Events, Pride Parade

A new law outlawing all public displays of homosexuality, including Pride parades, has gone into effect in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia reports RT.com.

The measure, which was drafted by several local activist organizations and religious groups, is being championed most vigorously by the Russian Orthodox Church.

“All priests know that the souls of those who suffered through sinful homosexual experience are empty and desperate,” said Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Russian Orthodox Church PR department, who added, "And it is this insecurity in a minute-long pleasure that forces these spiritually unhealthy people to hold marches and other public demonstrations.”

Chaplin has been a busy man of late. Yesterday he appeared on Ekho Moskvy radio to insist that the Russian government remove Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" from high school classrooms because the books "romanticize perverted passions that make people unhappy." He also asserted the acclaimed novels justified pedophilia. "Obviously, the popularization of these novels in schools will not make our society more morally happy," he said.

Sadly, the new law won't come as a shock to many in Russia. In May more than 30 people, including American "dont ask, don't tell" activist Dan Choi, were arrested in Moscow while attempting to stage a Pride parade. Police disrupted the event because they say organizers did not have the proper permits.

In October of 2010 the European Court of Human Rights found that the ban on Pride parades in Russia was unlawful and urged the nation to allow LGBT people to peacefully assemble. The Court also fined the government 30,000 euros for banning the parades in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

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Comments

[Chad Jeremy]

02:38 PM on 10/02/2011

History repeats its self, and no one sees it.

[Eric Gundberg]

12:03 AM on 09/30/2011

Russia is not a part of the European Union. How the European Court of Human Rights fine it?

[Mike123456]

11:18 AM on 09/30/2011

The European Court of Human Rights is not a court of the European Union. It's the human rights court for the Council of Europe, which is different, and which includes 47 countries, including Russia. Russia has agreed to be bound by the judgments of the Eur. Court of Human Rights, though its compliance on LGBT issues has not been impressive.

The EU itself has a different court -- the European Court of Justice -- and that court has no jurisdiction over Russia.

Cheers

[iyalode5]

06:14 PM on 09/29/2011

1) This is exactly what the t baggers want to happen here.
2) The only things our souls are "empty" of is b#llsh*t religious propaganda designed to oppress the people.
3) Gabriel Garcia Marquez rocks.
4) These people suck

[tygr49]

02:05 PM on 10/01/2011

F&F for all your points, esp #3 and 4.

[mythreecents]

06:10 PM on 09/29/2011

The Rusian Orthodox chaplain quoted who says (who lies): "All priests know that the souls of those who suffered through sinful homosexual experience are empty and desperate,”

My response: All people, including him, who deny GLBT people total equality are spiritually backward and pathetic.

Love is what makes a Christian a "good" Christian.

[ColleenHarper]

11:00 AM on 09/30/2011

They are Purposefully Trying to make these peoples' lives empty and desperate by denying LGBT people the acknowledgement that we honestly CAN love someone.

Love fills that void that religious people are trying so hard to maintain, to MAKE us miserable.

It is THEY, not the LGBT, who are lacking in love and whose souls are empty and desperate.

Thank you, My Three Cents!

[marierocks]

05:58 PM on 09/29/2011

Russia and the U.S. - two peas in the same bigoted pod.

[AngryHarpy]

05:56 PM on 09/29/2011

Can we deport the Westboro Baptist Church to Arkhangelsk, please?

[ramal]

05:29 PM on 09/29/2011

The medieval mind not only lives but fourishes in Russia.

[sf1000000]

05:16 PM on 09/29/2011

“All priests know that the souls of those who suffered through sinful homosexual experience are empty and desperate,” said Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Russian Orthodox Church PR department, who added, "And it is this insecurity in a minute-long pleasure that forces these spiritually unhealthy people to hold marches and other public demonstrations.”

Hummm I am gay my soul is fine nor it is it empty..coming from a Man that if he can speak English, must sound like he " Make Big trouble for mooses and squirrels" and I am to listen to him? LOL..this guy needs to come out of the closet..before he is shoved OUT.

[imsixftsix]

04:17 PM on 09/29/2011

The Russian Church at it again!!!! Poor Russia, to go from Stalin and communism to godism...

[Chazz280V]

03:21 PM on 09/29/2011

Funny that the CONServatives want to do the same thing as the Communist are doing but here in the U.S. They might say they hate the commies, but they sure are going out of there way to act like 'em.

[gaydood]

03:18 PM on 09/29/2011

Hi, I'm a Tea-Partier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnUfPQVOqpw

im glad the gopeee and tp likes us gays, no wait...

[Gus DiZerega]

02:54 PM on 09/29/2011

Maybe Focus on the Family should move lock stock and barrel to Russia. They seem to be in better synch with their values.

[Olterigo]

08:39 PM on 10/06/2011

Don't worry. I regularly read Russian news in original language. American Christian fundamentalists are quite active in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. They are quite vocal on prohibiting free speech and freedom of assembly when it concerns LGBT individuals and groups. (Of course, they often themselves are the victims of state propaganda and religious persecution, but somehow they fail to see the similarities.)

[Cowboylove]

02:52 PM on 09/29/2011

Just a reminder that America's conservatives have more in common with oppressive regimes in Russia than they do with our founding fathers.

[pavementends42]

02:46 PM on 09/29/2011

The tighter the grip of the government, the harder its citizens struggle to break free!

[Carl Caroli]

02:46 PM on 09/29/2011

Maybe we should send all the American homophobes there and be done with it.

[sf1000000]

05:18 PM on 09/29/2011

Hey, what did Russia ever do to us that they deserve that? I think we buy an island and we just dump them on the island

[ColleenHarper]

11:11 AM on 09/30/2011

Why waste money on an island. Buy a supertanker with a rusty hull and an engine that is completely broken down. Don't bother cleaning the hold of that oil. They love oil!