A commentary by UK Gay News
 

Лужков, Путин и московский гей-прайд
(Russian language version of
this article)

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The brouhaha over May’s Moscow Pride and the homophobic remarks made by the Mayor of the Russian capital could well go down in Russian political history as something that extends beyond the question of gay and human rights and right into the Kremlin to the desk of President Putin.

The first thing to remember is that Mayor Luzhkov has not actually banned Moscow’s projected Gay Pride Parade in May.  Not yet, anyway.  But he has said that he intends to, not only through a spokesperson for his office, but from his very lips a couple of weeks ago when he took part in a press conference in Berlin.

While Luzhkov is building a strong résumé of homophobia around his name, Putin, on the other hand, could take advantage of the situation to ‘launder’ his image of being an anti human rights President.

“The freedom to speak out and demonstrate publicly is not just a reflection of diversity.  It is essential to democracy” declared Scott Long of New York based Human Rights Watch last week.

Long’s remarks were widely reported in the Russian media, as were the demonstrations outside the Russian embassies in five European capitals.

The Moscow authorities, backed by several deputies, insist that Russian society does not want a gay pride.  But this view does not exactly agree with opinion polls that have found that just over 50% have no problem with gays and lesbians having the same rights than other citizen (Center Levada for GayRussia.Ru, August 2005).

Surprisingly, Moscow city officials are backing their negative stance to Gay Pride by the concerns of the religious leaders that have spewed words of hatred towards gays and lesbians.

Mufti Talgat Tajuddin declared: “Prophet Muhammad had ordered homosexuals to be killed, as their behaviour leads to the end of human race”.  Rabbi Berl Lazar added that “… gays are sexual perverts”, while the Russian Orthodox Church said that “homosexuality is perverted and sinful.”

Have the Orthodox leaders, and leaders of other faiths, forgotten the repression that they suffered during Soviet times?

As one of the organisers of Moscow Pride pointed out in response to Rabbi Lazar’s remarks: “Gays and Jews were sent to the same Nazi concentration camps”.

Today, Luzhkov wants to ban the Gay Pride march.  But what about tomorrow?  The Mayor, or any other elected official, could ban the building of a mosque, or the march of Muslims or Jews, using the same reasons they used for the ban on gays.

But why to stop here?  They could also ban the marches staged by communists, pensioners, trades union…

There is no democracy when there is no self public expression if only the military is allowed to march.  There is no basis for ruling a country or a city when the constitution is not applied equally by an elected official.

The “Pride fight” is therefore not only a ‘gay issue’ but also a question of democracy and human rights.

As the Mayor of Paris, himself openly gay, declared during the Paris Pride last year: “When a part of the society becomes freer, and get access to equality, all others become freer”.

True, Luzhkov has considerable clout.  He is mayor of Moscow, the richest region of Russia.  And talking of riches, it should not be forgotten that he is not short of a rouble or two.

According to Forbes Russia, Luzhkov’s wife is a billionaire and the richest woman in Russia.

And not only does he ‘control’ Moscow.  He also controls TVC, a Moscow television station – and, as previously reported by UK Gay News , is known to exercise editorial control.

Last month, TVC transmitted an item in it Postscriptum news programme that reported Moscow Pride organisers had appealed to President Putin – and that they intended Pride to be staged in front of Lennin’s mausoleum.

Organisers cried ‘foul’.  “We never applied to Putin for that,” they insisted.  “The purpose,” the suggested, “was to discredit us and start to throw the topic in the Kremlin’s court.”

Currently, Luzhkov appears to be in desperate need of the backing of President Putin.  The Mayor’s reputation in Europe is, say a number of Russian observers, in tatters following his homophobic remarks he made personally in Berlin – not like previous statements through a spokesperson.

Put simply, you don’t say things that he said at a press conference in front of three other European mayors, two of whom are openly gay and the other very ‘gay friendly’.

Diplomatic protocol meant that the other three didn’t fire-off a salvo.  But their body language at the time that Luzhkov made his remarks said it all.

Luzhkov, in his reasoning for banning the parade, also cited the inability of the police to protect such a parade.  Yet Luzhkov was prepared to bid, unsuccessfully, for the Olympic Games last year.  And security is of paramount importance to the IOC.

Most of the Russian mainstream media is reporting the brouhaha over Gay Pride fairly, avoiding the hysterical stance shown by TVC.  Coverage of last week’s demonstrations in Europe made it clear to Russians that the demonstrators were not against Russia as a country, but against Moscow, and particularly its mayor as NTV, the popular Russian TV pointed out.

So where does President Putin fit into all this?

Today, Putin hold one unusual and very important  card in his hands. At the time of Moscow Pride, Russia will hold the Presidency of both the G8 and the Council of Europe.

Will the President of Russia want the ‘western world’ to see the mayor of the country’s capital city banning a Gay Pride event?

Or will President Putin want to show allowing a gay pride the Russian Constitution is being recognised?

But that is not all.

President Putin’s term of office ends in two years and it has become obvious that, despite what was initially thought by both the media and politicians, the President will not stay in Kremlin or even try to extend his term of office.  According to the constitution he has to leave power for 4 years before considering a possible ‘come back’.

Putin remains hugely popular in Russia.  After six years as President, his ‘approval rating’ of 75% among Russians in a recent opinion poll, conducted last month by Independent Center Levada, is certainly phenomenal, especially considering the hard domestic political measure of reducing the benefits for pensioners.

Despite protest throughout the country, Putin did not withdraw the law – and more surprising, it hardly affected his popularity in the opinion polls.

So, allowing Moscow Pride to go ahead is hardly likely to affect his domestic popularity.  But it could well ‘launder’ his reputation abroad – something that would be vital if he wants an important rôle either in the private sector or in an international organizations, as Russian commentators are currently suggesting.

By ignoring both the constitution and Russian law, Luzhkov has kicked the ball into the Kremlin’s garden.

QUICK MOSCOW PRIDE FACTS

• The first gay pride in Moscow is scheduled for May 27, the 13th anniversary of the decriminalisation of gay relations by former President Boris Yeltsin.

• Shortly after the announcement  of Moscow Pride was made by Russian gays and lesbian activists in July 2005, the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov declared that he would not allow the event.

• During the press conference of the “M4” meeting in Berlin in February this year, Luzhkov declared in presence of Mayors of Paris, Berlin and London that his personal philosophy was “a negative opinion on homosexuality — it’s an unnatural act”.

• Support of the Moscow Gay Pride has come from all over the world and as far as New Zealand MPs who have sent their support for the event.

See Also:

Gays – and Others – Protest At Russian Embassy in Warsaw - Paris Also Stages Protest.  Some 30 demonstrators braved the freezing temperature to protest outside the Russian Embassy in Warsaw this evening to wind-up Europe’s day of action against the homophobic outbursts of the Mayor of Moscow and his stated ban of Moscow Gay Pride scheduled at the end of May.

Outraged Europe Protests Gay Parade Ban by Moscow Mayor:  Day of protest open in Vienna and London.  As demonstrators picketed the Russian embassies in London and Vienna at lunchtime today demanding that the ban on Moscow’s Gay Pride Festival is lifted, London’s Green MEP, Jean Lambert spoke out in anger against the Mayor of Moscow’s homophobic attitude. (UK Gay News - March 2, 2006)

Mayor of Moscow Condemned by Euro Parliament Gay Rights Group.  Recent statements from the Mayor of Moscow – and his office – that any application for a Gay Pride parade in Moscow in May would not be considered has been condemned by the European Parliament’s Gay and Lesbian Rights Intergroup. (UK Gay News - February 28, 2006)

Moscow Gay Pride Parade Should Not Be Banned, Says Scott Long of HRW.   Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s promise to ban the city’s first-ever gay pride parade is a threat to civil liberties and civil society, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the mayor. (UK Gay News - February 27, 2006)

Polish Gays Spearhead Euro Demos at Russian Embassies.  Of all the demonstrations in support of Moscow Pride to be held on Thursday March 2 outside Russian embassies in Europe, perhaps the most poignant will be in Warsaw.  Gay men and women in Warsaw just happen to know a thing or two about a homophobic mayor who tries to bans Prides.  (UK Gay News - February 22, 2006)

Moscow Mayor Again Says ‘No’ to Gay Pride Parade.  Minutes after signing the “Berlin Declaration” which included a clause recognising “the necessity of eliminating all forms of discrimination and intolerance”, the Mayor of Moscow, Juri Lushkov, said this afternoon that he would not give permission for the Moscow Gay Pride march and festival to go ahead at the end of May.  (UK Gay News - February 22, 2006)

Deputies Line Up to Back Moscow Mayor on Gay Pride.  Russian politicians have today been virtually queuing up to give statements to the media in support of the Mayor of Moscow who last week said he would ban a gay pride parade in the city.  (UK Gay News - February 20, 2006)

World Shows Solidarity with Russian Gays.  Gay men and women in Russia are tonight very encouraged at the world-wide response to the homophobic outbursts of religious leaders and the Mayor of Moscow during the week, with the Mayor proclaiming that Moscow Pride in May was a non-starter.  Condemnation of the outbursts, coupled with messages of solidarity with Russian gays, has come from across Europe – and as far a field as New Zealand.  (UK Gay News - February 17, 2006)

Mayor of London Asked to Intervene in Moscow Gay Pride “Ban”.  The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has called on the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to appeal to his counterpart in Moscow to lift the threat of a ban on a gay pride parade in the city scheduled for the end of May.  (UK Gay News - February 17, 2006)

Moscow Authorities Will Not Allow Gay Pride In Any Form – Mayor’s Office.   The row over the planned Gay Pride in Moscow, highlighted over the past two days by religious leaders, went squarely into the local political arena today when the Moscow city authorities said they will not permit “under any circumstances” the first-ever Gay Pride parade, scheduled for the end of May in the city.  (UK Gay News - February 16, 2006)

Russian Muslim Leader Calls For Gays to be “Thrashed”.  Russian Muslims could arrange serious protest actions if representatives of “sexual minorities” try to stage a Gay Pride parade later in Moscow in May, according to Interfax news agency following an outburst from an extremist religious leader. (UK Gay News - February 15, 2006)

Putin Gets Protest Letter Over Anti-Gay Russian TV News Broadcast.  The grandson of British gay literary giant Oscar Wilde has written personally to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, following a biased and homophobic television programme screened in Russia last weekend. (UK Gay News - February 8, 2006)

Russian Web Sites Claim Moscow Gay Pride Is On Religious Holiday ... But they get dates wrong as they try to whip-up objections.  A number of news internet sites in Russia have started what appears to be a campaign against Moscow’s LGBT Festival and Gay Pride.  Some reports suggest that the festival and Pride Parade will take place on May 24, a day considered as a ‘religious holiday’ in Russia.  (UK Gay News - January 31, 2006)

Gay Pride March in Moscow Will Be Under Watchful Eye of International Community.  Commentary.  The Russian gay and lesbian community are convinced that 2006 will be a watershed year.  Some have said that the projected Moscow Pride – the first-ever in the city – is doomed to failure.  Russia, they say, is just not ready for a “Pride” event, let alone the accompanying “cultural” festival. (UK Gay News - January 3, 2006)

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