Moscow tightens security as gay parade possible in spite of ban.

[norml]

Moscow tightens security as gay parade possible in spite of ban.

27.05.2006, 06.24

MOSCOW, May 27 (Itar-Tass) - Although a Moscow district court on Friday supported the Moscow mayor office’s ban on holding gay parades in the city, groups of sexual minorities are still planning to march along Moscow streets on Saturday.

Moscow police is tightening security for fears of clashes between gays and radicals. Organizers do not reveal where they are going to stage the parade. Originally they planned to march near the Lubyanka square in downtown Moscow.

Echo of Moscow radio quoted its sources in police as saying that about 1,000 police officers will be on duty in central Moscow on Saturday.

The Moscow government earlier rejected the bid to hold the parade for “problems with blocking motor traffic,” as well as “apprehensions concerning the procession participants’ security.”


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http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=8902468&PageNum=0

[keopeli]

1. Moscow Gay Pride Day

A day very different from US Gay Pride Days is upon us.

Gay people everywhere are oppressed, and in some places more than others. Moscow has a thriving gay community, but they have never been as overt as US gay people, particularly when it comes to public events. When the Mayor of Moscow and the police turned down there request to hold a Gay Pride Parade today, organizers conceded. But, it looks like gay people may express their legitimate role in society publicly after all.

TASS, the Russian News Agency, said, "Moscow police is (sic) tightening security for fears of clashes between gays and radicals."

The word choice in this sentence differs from American journalism. A US paper might say "gays and conservatives" or "gays and protesters" or even "gays and local churches" when talking about counter-demonstrations to gay parades. In Russia, the term of choice is radicals. Perhaps this is more accurate, since there is a fear of actual violence, which does not typically occur any more in the US at these types of events.

Also, the fact that TASS, a news outlet that once was what Fox dreams of becoming - the state propaganda outlet without competition, is reporting this news should intrigue historians, because of the use of the word "gays" without any pejoratives. Notice there is no overt negative descriptors for the homosexuals. Instead, the job is left to the Mayor, who puts it bluntly:

"Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov insisted “such a parade is inadmissible in our country above all for moral considerations.” He stressed “people should not make public their deviations in the sphere of organization of life and sex.”"

TASS

The mayor's comments help articulate the Russian culture. I would translate the latter part of the Mayor's comments to say, "people should not make public their private sexual affairs."

The state itself used more neutral reasoning, saying the potential for violence is too high for them to offer adequate protection. While that reasoning is sound, it is also one used by the US in the past in the early days of gay pride parades. It has two problems: gay people will parade anyway and the lack of adequate police is a problem whose burden is on the state and not the people. If there is violence, the police will have to respond. If there is no violence, future parades can't use this excuse.

What we will learn from today is who the police will arrest.

For now, I'm sending out all of my positive vibes to my gay friends in Russia for health, good fortune, and success!