http://www.buzzfeed.com/maxseddon/obama-to-meet-with-russian-activists-on-g20-sidelines

Quote :

"Obama To Meet With LGBT And Other Activists While In Russia Following his cancellation of a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama may infuriate the Kremlin further by meeting Russian human rights activists, including LGBT rights groups, during his upcoming trip to St Petersburg for the G20 summit. Four Russian non-governmental organizations told BuzzFeed Monday they had been invited to the meeting, scheduled for this Thursday at St. Petersburg’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. The groups include veteran human rights activists Lev Ponomarev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, legal aid NGO director Pavel Chikov, and Coming Out, a St. Petersburg-based LGBT organization. Another local LGBT group, the LGBT Network, is believed to be attending"

9/2/2013 4:07:23 PM

I wonder to how many other threads here and on multiple other messageboards you will post this

9/2/2013 4:18:26 PM

^

[Edited on September 2, 2013 at 4:57 PM. Reason : .]

9/2/2013 4:35:20 PM

you know I only say it out of love, Jake

9/2/2013 5:12:19 PM

It's not just increased violence by the general public who knows the state/police are now taking officially anti-gay stances, but the police themselves seem to be getting into the violence.

"Russian Activist Charged Under "Gay Propaganda" Law"

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maxseddon/police-charge-russian-activist-under-gay-propaganda-law-for

Quote :

"Police in the central Russian city of Kazan filed charges against Dmitry Isakov Thursday for his protest on July 30 this year, his legal team told BuzzFeed. Isakov stood in the city center holding a sign that said, “Being gay and loving gays is normal. Beating gays and killing gays is a crime!”"

Quote :

"Police filed the charges on the basis of a complaint from a teenager in the northern Arkhangelskaya province who had seen Isakov’s protest online. The teenager, Erik Fedoseyev, wrote that he had been forced to write the complaint by his father"

Quote :

"The charges are only the latest consequence Isakov has faced for his protest. He told London’s The Times that four policemen beat him so badly after he left the protest that he had to walk on crutches for 10 days. When his injured knee allowed him to return to work at a local branch of Sberbank, the former Soviet banking behemoth, he learned that he had been abruptly fired."

9/2/2013 7:24:13 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-lawmaker-proposes-bill-that-would-deny-gay-parents-custody-over-children/2013/09/05/a3a8b318-1606-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_story.html

Quote :

"Russian lawmaker proposes bill that would deny gay parents custody over children MOSCOW — A Russian lawmaker has proposed a bill that would deny gay parents custody over their children. The draft bill, published on parliament’s website on Thursday, would make the “fact of nontraditional sexual orientation” a basis for denying custody."

9/5/2013 1:21:11 PM

This Map Shows the 29 States Where You Can Be Legally Fired For Being Gay
http://www.policymic.com/articles/66751/this-map-shows-the-29-states-where-you-can-be-legally-fired-for-being-gay

Quote :

"Between 15% and 43% of LGBT Americans have experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace as a result of their sexual orientation. Even more staggering is the proportion of transgender individuals who have had such experiences: 90%. More shocking, there are still 29 states where LGBT Americans can be legally fired from their jobs based solely on their sexual orientation. [ http://www.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/employment_laws_062013.pdf ] These states are:"

WAT?

Is this for real? You can legally be fired for being gay? I had no clue... seeing the fight about gay marriage and stuff, I thought the initial hurdle must have been jumped over ages ago.

But one can be fired just for being gay in over half the country?

So how can the US preach about gay rights to other countries when parts of the US don't even give the very basic rights?



Edit: I am still incensed about this... marriage comes later, this is akin to not even seeing them as humans. Shouldn't that be the first step? How is it different from being fired for being black, or for being Muslim, or for being female?

This is so unbelievable, I find it ludicrous.


[Edited on October 7, 2013 at 9:36 PM. Reason : ]

10/7/2013 9:31:46 PM

^Treating this as the serious post that it is, I'd refer you to the fact that the American right has been exporting gay-hating policies that has been documented in Uganda helping lead to the "kill the gays" bill there and now with some of the Russian laws as well. So it's not out of step that those policies get called out by American and international human rights organizations.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

10/11/2013 7:19:52 PM

I will get back to that later... for now, enjoy this:

http://www.policymic.com/articles/66815/kuwait-tries-to-invent-magical-gaydar-test-to-keep-the-gay-away

10/12/2013 6:13:38 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/12/gay-rights-rally-in-st-petersburg-ends-in-violence-67-arrested/

Quote :

"Gay rights rally in St. Petersburg ends in violence; 67 arrested ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – A gay rights rally in St. Petersburg has ended in scuffles after several dozen protesters were confronted by about 200 conservative and religious activists. The police standing nearby waited until clashes broke out between the two groups before intervening. According to Russian news agencies, the police detained 67 people from both sides. The scuffles started after anti-gay protesters tore a rainbow flag out of a woman's hands."

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/10/russia-67-arrested-as-othrodox-priests.html#disqus_thread

Quote :

"Priests from the Russian Orthodox Church and skinheads clashed with LGBT activists at a St. Petersburg rally yesterday to mark Coming Out Day. There were 67 arrests. "

10/13/2013 2:02:06 PM

Efforts to use the Sochi Olympics to highlight the issue continues:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/10/29/sochi-gay-rights-protest-disrupt-winter-games/3297245/

Quote :

"The USOC event marked 100 days until the first competition in Sochi, where Russia's anti-gay law has drawn ire from gay rights groups. "It's a violation of human rights,' said Duncan Osbourne, a member of Queer Nation NY which organized the protest. The demonstration was " thrown together" when the group learned about the USOC event two days ago."

10/29/2013 10:22:35 PM

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russia-bans-tribute-gay-victims-nazi-germany011113

Quote :

"Russia bans tribute to gay victims of Nazi Germany Russia has banned a tribute to the LGBTI victims of Nazi Germany. On 31 October, the Moscow government refused a group to condemn Adolf Hitler’s actions and honor the 100,000 gay people arrested during World War II."

Quote :

"Around 20 participants applied to hold a peaceful event in Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow on 5 November. The intention of the tribute was to also spread the message about not repeating past mistakes and ensuring something like the Holocaust never happens again. But the authorities rejected the application, saying paying tribute to gay victims of Nazi Germany could potentially ‘influence’ children on homosexuality."

11/1/2013 5:02:30 PM

Here is what puzzles me. Conservatives in 2013 are back-slapping Russia and Putin for this anti-gay stance, but undoubtedly these are the same conservatives who some 20-30 years ago were all about being as against "The Ruskies" as possible.

11/1/2013 7:49:36 PM

I haven't heard any conservative praise russia for this stance.

11/1/2013 9:37:18 PM

^To Hockey's point, here are a few examples:

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/focus-family-alliance-defending-freedom-nom-leaders-reportedly-met-author-russian-homosexual

Quote :

"Focus On The Family, Alliance Defending Freedom, NOM Leaders Reportedly Met With Author Of Russian 'Homosexual Propaganda' Bill Last week, we reported that National Organization for Marriage president Brian Brown had just gotten back from a Moscow planning meeting for the 2014 World Congress of Families gathering in Russia."

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maxseddon/discredited-us-anti-gay-activist-addreses-russian-parliament

Quote :

"Discredited U.S. Anti-Gay Activist Addresses Russian Parliamentarians Over “Family Values” Russia’s parliament invited an American anti-gay psychologist whose work has been widely discredited to give expert testimony where he suggested that a third of LGBTs support pedophilia"

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/10/linda-harvey-brian-camenker-russias-gay.html#disqus_thread

Quote :

"Linda Harvey & Brian Camenker: Russia's Gay-Bashing Victims Had It Coming Camenker is the head of MassResistance, one of the most foul hate groups around. And that's saying something."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/russia-anti-gay-bill_n_3530050.html

Quote :

"Russia Anti-Gay Bill Admired By Some U.S. Conservatives NEW YORK -- As the hub of the Soviet Union, Russia was reviled for rights abuses by many U.S. conservatives during the Cold War. Now some are voicing support and admiration as Russian authorities crack down on gay-rights activism. The latest step drawing praise from social conservatives is a bill signed into law Sunday by President Vladimir Putin that would impose hefty fines for holding gay pride rallies or providing information about the gay community to minors. "You admire some of the things they're doing in Russia against propaganda," said Austin Ruse, president of the U.S.-based Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. "On the other hand, you know it would be impossible to do that here." Ruse, whose institute is seeking accreditation at the United Nations, plans to travel to Russia this summer to meet with government officials and civic leaders. "We want to let them know they do in fact have support among American NGOs (non-governmental organizations) on social issues," he said. Among others commending Russia's anti-gay efforts was Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality."

Quote :

"In a sign of Russia's evolving stature among some U.S. social conservatives, the Illinois-based World Congress of Families plans to hold its eighth international conference at the Kremlin's Palace of Congresses in Moscow next year."

Quote :

"Stefano Gennarini, a colleague of Austin Ruse's at Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, suggested in a blog post that criticisms of the bill in the West were "hyperbole" and defended it as a reasonable effort to protect children."

Quote :

"He characterized the bill's proposed fines as a tax on public displays of affection by homosexuals, adding that "$155 is hardly unmanageable for homosexuals who want to kiss in public," he wrote."

Quote :

"Scott Lively, a Massachusetts-based evangelical lawyer and activist, conducted a 50-city speaking tour of Russia in 2007, and says the current bill reflects policies that he advocated at the time."

Quote :

"Lively has been sued in U.S. federal court by a Uganda-based gay-rights group, accusing him of persecuting gays in that East African country. The suit – which Lively is seeking to have dismissed – contends that he was a key figure in consultations in Uganda that produced tough anti-gay legislation in 2009. The initial version of the bill called for the death penalty in some cases of gay sex"

NOM is the group that used to do bus tours to bring people from out of state into states that didn't have anti-gay constitutional amendments, they used to bus to NC to protest our state until the GOP take over finally made it a reality.

Here's one such example where they were trying to use divine magic as best as I could tell, & our larger counter-protest (although we had an unfair advantage, since our people lived in the state, people could come from nearby & they were limited mostly to who had bused in):

11/1/2013 10:29:15 PM

I don't consider those people representative of the folks I would identify with as "conservative"... to me seems more "religious right" to me.

yes, there is overlap... i guess my definition of "conservative" trends more to personal freedom... which would include bwning whoever you are attracted to (unless it were harmful to others such as incest, etc)

11/1/2013 11:01:30 PM

This is highly anecdotal, but I am watching two hockey games currently and can not scrounge around for Rush's comments. That said, I saw this posted on a conservative friend's Facebook wall. . .


Yes, I see that it leads with "Sharia Law", but his targeting of "minorities" is equally applicable to gay folks.

[Edited on November 3, 2013 at 8:56 PM. Reason : .]

11/3/2013 8:54:51 PM

Quote :

"unless it were harmful to others such as incest"

I'm not sure how you're labeling mutually consenting sex between related adults harmful to others and why that type of sex earns your disdain but gay sex does not.

11/4/2013 8:44:50 AM

did you just argue in support of incest?

11/4/2013 8:48:03 AM

I'm interested in hearing the moral argument against it. It sounds like it boils down to "just because." Which is about as good a reason that most people have against gay sex.

[Edited on November 4, 2013 at 9:01 AM. Reason : .]

11/4/2013 9:00:09 AM

biologically it is high risk for defective offspring.
socially it usually involves an older family member and a younger "victim"

11/4/2013 9:04:40 AM

I believe every nation should march in opening ceremonies with pride flags as a big fuck you to Putin and this fascist law.

11/4/2013 7:12:58 PM

Quote :

"biologically it is high risk for defective offspring. socially it usually involves an older family member and a younger "victim""

The same kinds of responses to people that look down upon homosexuality:

"Well, should non-related people who are high risk for genetic disorders not have sex?"
"When I said incest, I specifically mentioned mutually consenting adults."

I know it's icky, taboo, but I honestly see no credible moral argument against incest that isn't of the exact same nature as those against homosexuality.

Quote :

"I believe every nation should march in opening ceremonies with pride flags as a big fuck you to Putin and this fascist law."

Agreed.

[Edited on November 4, 2013 at 8:14 PM. Reason : .]

11/4/2013 8:14:23 PM

k

11/4/2013 8:26:21 PM

http://www.towleroad.com/2013/11/xavier-bettel-to-become-luxembourgs-first-openly-gay-prime-minister.html



I wonder what happens in Russia as the number of openly gay European heads of state and legislators goes up. What happens if Luxembourg's new head of state there shows up? Or Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo? Or Johanna, Iceland's former Prime Minister?

11/13/2013 12:11:56 PM

Quote :

"I know it's icky, taboo, but I honestly see no credible moral argument against incest that isn't of the exact same nature as those against homosexuality."

wait, what? are genetic problems from incest not an actual thing?

11/13/2013 12:16:42 PM

also, is incest common in communal animals?

11/13/2013 12:20:48 PM

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/russian-government-spies-on-lgbt-activists-to-portray-them-a

Quote :

"Russian Government Spies On LGBT Activists To Portray Them As Part Of Western “Homosexualist Invasion” Russian officials bugged a private strategy meeting convened by Russian LGBT activists and four major international human rights organizations in October, an intensification of the campaign to clamp down on LGBT rights ahead of the Olympic games in Sochi. This surveillance was revealed on Nov. 12, when a state television channel broadcast audio from the meeting as part of a program presented as an exposé of the “threat to Russia” posed by the “homosexualists who attempt to infiltrate our country."

Other countries are now offering humanitarian asylum to gay people fleeing Russia. Gays want to get out, not invade.



[Edited on November 14, 2013 at 9:39 PM. Reason : .]

11/14/2013 9:39:18 PM

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/11/sen-mark-kirk-cancels-senate-meeting.html#disqus_thread

Quote :

"Yesterday I reported that a coalition of anti-gay Christian groups would be meeting today in official US Senate office space to discuss how they might copy Russia's anti-gay pogrom here in the United States. After outcry from LGBT groups, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) has kicked them out of the space."

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/senator-kirk-pulls-senate-meeting-room-for-group-supportive

Quote :

"WASHINGTON — Late Thursday, Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s office abruptly canceled access to a Senate meeting room for a Friday event scheduled by a social conservative organization that is supportive of Russia’s “homosexual propaganda” ban, event organizers told BuzzFeed."

Quote :

"“It is rather shameful that Senator Kirk has been such a coward,” said one of the participants in the panel scheduled by the World Congress of Families. Update: Kirk’s office responds: “Sen. Kirk doesn’t affiliate with groups that discriminate.”"

11/15/2013 9:28:39 AM

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russia-finds-lady-gaga-guilty-harming-children-pro-gay-speech151113

15 November 2013

Quote :

"Russia finds Lady Gaga guilty of 'harming' children with pro-gay speech Russia has fined the organizers of a Lady Gaga concert because she ‘harmed’ children with a pro-gay speech. A magistrate’s court in St Petersburg yesterday (14 November) fined Planet Plus 20,000 rubles ($614, €455)."

Quote :

"Earlier this year, co-author of the federal gay propaganda bill Vitaly Milonov attempted to open a criminal case against Gaga. GSN has reached out to Gaga’s representatives, but she has yet to respond to the case."

11/15/2013 4:50:29 PM

Dont be gay around Alec Baldwin.

11/15/2013 5:06:10 PM

Lady Gaga is scheduled to go to space via Virgin Galactic here in a couple of years.

11/15/2013 5:40:37 PM

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/12/german-president-to-boycott-sochi.html#disqus_thread

Quote :

"German President To Boycott Sochi German President Joachim Gauck has announced that he will not attend the Sochi Olympics in protests of Russia's anti-LGBT pogrom. ESPN reports: "Gauck took the decision to protest human rights violations and the harassment of Russian opposition political figures, Der Spiegel reported Sunday. The magazine said the Russian government was informed of his decision last week.""

12/8/2013 1:16:34 PM

"Sir Ian McKellen 'advised not to go to Russia by Foreign Office because of anti-gay laws'"
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lord-rings-actor-sir-ian-2910242

"AT MANDELA MEMORIAL, OBAMA SAYS WORLD MUST STOP PERSECUTING PEOPLE FOR 'WHO THEY LOVE'"
http://www.towleroad.com/2013/12/mandelaobama.html

[Edited on December 10, 2013 at 8:58 AM. Reason : .]

12/10/2013 8:57:21 AM

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/white-house-unveils-us-delegation-2014-olympics-21252831

Quote :

"Obama Selects Gay Athletes for Sochi Delegation WASHINGTON December 18, 2013 (AP) By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer President Barack Obama sent Russia a clear message about its treatment of gays and lesbians with who he is — and isn't — sending to represent the United States at the Sochi Olympics. Billie Jean King will be one of two openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation for the opening and closing ceremonies, Obama announced Tuesday. For the first time since 2000, however, the U.S. will not send a president, former president, first lady or vice president to the Games. Russia has come under fierce criticism for passing national laws banning "gay propaganda." "

12/18/2013 1:58:20 AM

That's awesome. I can't wait for the right-wing media to lose their collective minds over this...

12/18/2013 11:15:47 AM

^My thoughts exactly. Wow, they must love seeing this fucking liberal up there sending homos to the Olympics and just killing America in the process.

12/18/2013 6:16:49 PM

Actually, at the moment they are losing their minds over the Utah judge striking down polygamy laws, and with so few precious brain cells to spare, there is a limited capacity for explosions. Give it time though.

12/18/2013 6:38:34 PM

I got into a discussion last night with a pastor in texas who was upset because the story is basically saying (to him at least) that Obama passed over worthy athletes to COMPETE in favor of gays. He also was insinuating that only gays were picked for the this honor, then when I pointed out that there were 3 straight athletes also on the delegation the discussion promptly ended. He was also trying to say that there should be an equal uproar for purposefully picking ANY gay person or to purposefully leaving out gays.

12/18/2013 9:52:26 PM

You would think the right is happy we're poking Russia in the eye.

Or is Putin their best friend now for humiliating Obama on the Syria thing?

12/18/2013 11:13:03 PM

anybody who is the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

12/19/2013 1:29:52 PM

I, too, thought the delegation selection was funny and a good jab.

12/19/2013 1:35:12 PM

Quote :

"Or is Putin their best friend now for humiliating Obama on the Syria thing?"

http://townhall.com/columnists/patbuchanan/2013/12/17/is-putin-one-of-us-n1764094
Is Putin One of Us?
Pat Buchanan | Dec 17, 2013

12/19/2013 2:33:39 PM

Didn't want to make a new thread

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/12/30/5-wackiest-antigay-ads-2014

1/3/2015 6:01:17 AM

Good job, Murrca, outlawing anti-discrimination!

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6764078

Quote :

"Start a conversation today about how this scary new trend would: *Make it legal for a bank to close your checking account if they found out you spent money to attend a coworker's lesbian wedding *Allow a bus driver to kick you off because he thinks you look gay *Prevent the child of two dads from attending college *Leave you stranded and sick outside a hospital that refuses to admit gays *Let a landlord evict you for inviting a lesbian friend over for dinner *Force LGBTs back into the closet in order to protect themselves, as though it was the 1950s "

3/1/2015 5:24:12 PM

Except this thread is about being gay in Russia.

On that topic - it was very interesting to see The Pussycat Dolls in House of Cards.

3/1/2015 5:47:20 PM

^not sure if that was a joke, but it was Pussy Riot that was on House of Cards (not Pussycat Dolls)

3/2/2015 12:04:40 PM

Yea, I meant to say Pussy Riot - I got mixed up.

3/2/2015 12:10:48 PM

3/2/2015 1:45:56 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4397118/Chechnya-opens-concentration-camp-homosexuals.html

Chechnya opens world's first concentration camp for homosexuals since Hitler's in the 1930s where campaigners say gay men are being tortured with electric shocks and beaten to death

- Chechyna has opened the first concentration camp for homosexuals since Hitler
- Prisoners reportedly tortured with electric shocks and some beaten to death
- One of those who fled said prisoners were beaten to force them to reveal other members of the gay community
- Comes after 100 gay men were detained and three killed in Chechyna last week

4/11/2017 10:19:57 PM