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Belarusians More Tolerant to Sexual Minorities than Russians?

Slavic Gay Pride movement opens public discussion on the rights of gays and lesbians in Belarus
 

MOSCOW, November 20, 2008 (GayRussia.ru)  –  The ‘unification seminar’ between Russian and Belarusian gay activists in Minsk last weekend – and the announcement of the creation of the Slavic Gay Pride movement with its first march on May 16 next year in Moscow – has provoked reaction not only in Russia but also in Belarus.

And the support for rights for gay men and women appears to be stronger than in Russia.

According to the website Gay.By, the Belarusian Internet radio TUT has shown interest in the concept of the Slavic Gay Pride in Moscow on Eurovision Song Contest final day.

A reporter from TUT went into the streets for some vox pops with ordinary people, asking about their attitude towards homosexual people.

The replies they go – and broadcast – were mixed, but generally supportive of gay rights.  They include:

Let them marry, of course, let them have children, if they can. If they have conditions then let them do it.

● Yes, really, they should be given liberty probably
● Just that they do not propagate this massively and the issue of children should be thought out…
● Same-sex marriages? This should be thought out…
● The response to gays is the following. Kill yourself, faggots…
● If they are trying, let them try…
● Same-sex marriages are too much for our country.
● Gays are the same humans as all.
● After all they are a minority, let them gather and go to Holland, to create something together there but not here. We are rooted Slavic people and we are not destined to be gays.
● We should deal with it in a more tolerant way.
● We should have the same attitude here as in all open world.
● I think our head of state does not respond to all letters, and to this specially will not. I think they don't have big chances… Let them write letters…

TUT.By radio reported that “Belarusian gays demand equality.  They decided to send a letter to President Alexander Lukashenko, trying to attract attention to the problems of sexual minorities in this country.  Moreover, Belarusian gays are going to unite in the fight for their rights with Russian gays and stage Slavic Gay Pride in Moscow during Eurovision final.”

The results of the poll conducted on TUT.By site show that around 13% have positive attitude towards homosexual people, around 25% are neutral. 38% expressed their negative attitude to gays and lesbians while 24% chose the answer “I have no connection with them”.

At the end of the radio news report the journalist suggested that “as we can see out of the responses that we got, everything is not so bad in our country.”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the responses of Belarusian respondents during the poll on the streets,” chief organiser of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alekseev, said last night.

“They showed higher tolerance towards sexual minorities in the society.  But I am glad that the movement of Slavic Gay Pride that we created less than a week ago has already lead to the start of the discussions in the society – and the media – about the rights of gays and lesbians in Belarus. This is only the beginning but it is a foundation.”

Seed Newsvine  

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