OCTOBER 2010

Oct 29:  European Union:  VIDEO: Presidents of Euro Parliamnent Gay Rights Group Have Coffee with EU Observer and TV Crew.  The co-presidents of the European Parliament’s all-party ‘Intergroup’ for gay and lesbian rights, Ulrike Lunacek and Michael Cashman, chatted recently about their personal experiences – and what drives them – with Méabh McMahon of the EU Observer over a cup of coffee in the Parliament building.  Embedded video

Oct 29:  Lithuania:  Freedom of Expression Restricted: Sexual Orientation in Advertising Now Prohibited.  A new amendment to Lithuania's Provision of Information Act came info effect last week.  It bans the “manifestation or promotion” of sexual orientation in advertising and audiovisual commercial communications.

Oct 23:  UK:  Cuts Represent Attack on the Gay Community: Greens.  LGBTGreens have hit out at the UK coalition Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review which was announced in Parliament this week.  The group has serious concerns that the LGBT community will be disproportionate.

Oct 21:  Russia:  Victory in Strasbourg for Alekseev and Russian Gay Rights.  There were tears of joy in Moscow from Nikolai Alekseev and other Russian gay activists at lunchtime today (October 21) as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg published its ruling which unanimously upheld the complaints lodged with the Court over the banning of three Moscow Gay Prides.

Oct 21:  Russia:  Brussels Delight at Court Ruling on Moscow Gay Pride.  There was delight in Brussels following the ruling this morning in Strasbourg by the European Court of Human Rights on Moscow Pride.

Oct 19:  Serbia/USA:  Audio: William Urich on Belgrade Gay Pride, the Hooligans and Lack of Interest by American Gay Media.  Reflecting on Gay Pride in Belgrade a week ago, William Urich, an American who was in the Serbian capital for the march, told UK Gay News that he felt the Pride itself went much better that he expected.

Oct 18:  Estonia:  Church of Estonia Defrocks Gay Pastor.  Commentary by Pastor Karl af Hällström.   On October 5, pastor Heino Nurk was defrocked by the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC).  The reasons given were that he has been found guilty of an indecent act and of teaching heresy.

Oct 18:  UK:  Peter Tatchell: Stonewall ‘Gay Marriage’ Survey Flawed.  Commentary by Peter Tatchell.  Despite being founded to secure gay equality, the gay lobby group Stonewall is refusing to campaign against the ban on gay civil marriage.  It is not committed to full equal rights for lesbian and gay people.

Oct 14:  Uganda:  Ugandan Gay Hate Tabloid Rolling Stone Ordered to Cease Publication.   Rolling Stone, the Ugandan tabloid which is five issues old, has been ordered to stop publishing “until all requirements of the Law are completed of face the full force of the law”.

Oct 13:  Serbia:  European Parliament President on Violent Protests Against Gay Pride Parade in Belgrade.   The President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek has condemned the violence in Belgrade that hit the streets of Belgrade at the weekend and that targeted the Gay Pride Parade as well as state authorities and a number of other institutions contributing to democratic life in Serbia.

Oct 12:  Russia:  St Petersburg Court Orders City to Allow First Gay Public Action Before November 1.  Commentary by Nikolai Alekseev.   Just a few days ago, I was writing in UK Gay News about the recent successes we made in Russia – the public action organized by LGBT people authorized in Moscow and protected by the police, homophobic Moscow Mayor and Prefect revoked, illegality of the closing of a gay club recognized by a Court.  Ut turns out to be that the trend continues further. And this time, there are more positive developments coming from St Petersburg.

Oct 10:  Serbia:  Belgrade Pride Unaffected as Anti-Gay Protesters Battle Against Police.  By Andy Harley in Belgrade.   There was tight security at Belgrade Pride today – the first since 2001 which saw participants violently attacked by far-right homophobic elements.  And the result today was that Gay Pride went ahead peacefully, with some 1,000 taking part in the march through a small part of the centre of the Serbian capital.  However, there were violent clashes elsewhere in the city.

Oct 10:  Serbia:  Belgrade Gay Pride: The March Went On.  Photos from Belgrade Pride 2010

Oct 7:  Russia:  ‘Revolution’ in Russia? Court Rules Ban on St Petersburg Gay Pride Was Illegal.  Commentary by Nikolai Alekseev.   The decision given yesterday by the Lenin District Court of St Petersburg is truly historical.  I simply do not see any other word I can use.  For the first time ever, a Russian Court gave a decision in which it declared illegal the ban of a Gay Pride in Russia.  This very good news is not ‘an orphan’.  It came after what has been a crazy week in Russia.

Oct 2:  UK:  Peter Tatchell: BBC Gay Report Is Flawed Progress.  Commentary by Peter Tatchell.   The BBC’s research on its portrayal of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people is ground-breaking progress.  But is also flawed in key aspects.

Oct 1:  Russia:  Gays Demonstrate in Moscow – and Are Not Arrested.  Twenty Moscow gays demonstrated outside the offices of Swiss Air Lines in Moscow this afternoon, protesting the way that activist Nikolai Alekseev was treated when he was ‘abducted’ two weeks ago at Domodedovo Airport when he was about to board a flight to Geneva.

Oct 1:  Russia/Switzerland:  Gay Activist and Airline Clash on Detail of Arrest at Moscow Airport Ahead of Today’s Demo.   As gay Muscovites were preparing for today’s officially sanctioned demonstration outside the office of Swiss Air Lines, local media interest in increasing.  But in Switzerland, officials of Swiss Air Lines were playing down the demonstration against the company following the ‘abduction’ two weeks ago of Nikolai Alekseev, the high profile Russian gay rights activist, who was seized by unknown agents, widely thought to have been from the FSB, in the departure lounge at Moscow’ Domodedovo Airport as he was waiting to board a flight to Geneva.