Russia to consider “ban everything gay” law

Russia to Bash Gays, Again

As part of its ongoing descent into dictatorship and underdevelopment, Russia is considering a new federal law that would ban anything and everything gay, according to an email from the Russian LGBT Network in St. Petersburg.
Similar laws have already been passed in nine Russian regions.  St. Petersburg’s version of the law got a man arrested for wearing rainbow suspenders, a sure mark of the gay devil.
No word yet on whether St. Petersburg plans on arresting God for inventing the rainbow, or for continuing to sport it after rainstorms in spite of being asked to stop by President Putin himself. I’m obviously kidding about the God stuff, but the suspenders arrest was real.
More on St. Petersburg’s version from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

 Gavrikov: That’s precisely the problem. For me, the term “propaganda” has exactly the same connotation as the term “anti-Soviet propaganda.” Everything that city authorities think will contradict the general stance of the [ruling United Russia] party — since almost all city officials are members of United Russia — will give them an opportunity to implement this law.This term is being used precisely because it’s vague, in order to bar public activities by certain groups of people. Any public activity that carries the word “gay,” or “lesbians,” or “bisexual” or “transgender” can be interpreted as propaganda — be it an awareness campaign, an opinion poll, or an article posted on our website.
Like I said, it’s a Soviet thing.

Russia Has a Proud History of Gay Bashing

Russia has a long history of gay-bashing… and Jew bashing… and media bashing… and dissident bashing.  On the gay front, they’ve been particularly nasty of late.  A few examples.
In 2007, the Moscow police say by as far-right extremists violently attacked European members of parliament at a gay pride rally. From my reporting at that time:

From Germany’s Deutsche Welle:

Police detained Russian gay community leader Nikolai Alexeyev and several European lawmakers in central Moscow at the start of the demonstration by dozens of homosexual rights activists campaigning for an end to sexual discrimination.
Dozens of Russian right-wing extremists converged on the group, shouting insults like “fags,” “perverts” and “death to homosexuals,” throwing eggs and punching and kicking gay demonstrators in front of riot police who intervened much later.
The police also systematically arrested both the attackers and the assaulted. The gay rights activists were also assaulted by ultra-nationalists and Orthodox Church hardliners….
Also detained were Volker Beck, a member of Germany’s parliament; Marco Cappato, an Italian member of the European Parliament, and veteran British gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. The politicians have since been released.

Yes, the police sat by while European members of parliament were violently attacked. The police then proceeded to arrest the members of parliament and others who were victims of the violence.
More from AP:

Marco Cappato, a European Parliament deputy from Italy, was kicked by one opponent as he spoke to journalists. Cappato began shouting “Where are the police? Why don’t you protect us?” and officers hauled him away as he struggled….
Thirty-one people were detained and most were later released, Moscow police spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev said. He said two Italians were detained for jaywalking and a German was taken away by police to prevent him from being beaten….
No gay rights opponents were seen taken away by police, though Gildeyev said a man was detained after attacking a Briton, presumably referring to Tatchell.

Yes, it takes a special kind of dictatorship to arrest the people who are being attacked.
Then in 2009, the Russian government brutally broke up a gay pride parade. More suspenders, one suspect.
In 2011, the Russian government did it again, this time violently assaulting international human rights activists, including the US’ own Dan Choi.