From Russia, With Hate

There is a wonderful Russian expression that says, "You may forget with whom you've laughed, but you will never forget with whom you've cried." It is with the gays of Russia with whom we now cry, and who we should keep in our thoughts.

The 100 peaceful gay protesters were merely trying to deliver a letter to the mayor of Moscow this past Sunday, signed by some 40 European lawmakers, appealing the city's ban on a march that would have taken place that same day, and which would have marked the 14th anniversary of Russia's decriminalization of being gay. What they met, instead, was an attack by a crowed of religious zealots, Moskovite skinheads, and according to many observers, the police themselves, who were supposedly there to protect the gay rights activists.

Instead of protecting them, the police arrested a dozen or so of the gay rights activists, which included Russian gay rights movement leader Nikolai Alexeyev, Marco Cappato, a European Parliament deputy from Italy, and German parliament member Volker Beck. Cappato claims he was arrested merely because he started shouting for police to intercede when the violent gay opponents started attacking another EU Parliament member, so of course instead of coming to the aid of the other MP, they arrested Cappato.

Although Moscow police took into custody a dozen or so peaceful gay rights activists, all but one of their violent opponents were arrested. Sadly, although it's been 14 years since the law decriminalizing homosexuality went into effect, it would seem that on the socio-religious sense, Russia hasn't budged on its acceptance of gays.

So, today we cry for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Russia, and keep them in our thoughts.