Straight Russian Politician Plans to Marry Man to Push Gay Rights

damien

Straight Russian Politician Plans to Marry Man to Push Gay Rights

In the near future Edvard Murzin, a deputy in the Bashkortostan republican legislature in central Russia, and the chief editor of a Web-site for homosexuals, Eduard Mishin, plan to go to a civilian registrar’s in Moscow to tie the knot.

The archbishop of Ufa has already denounced Murzin’s initiative calling him “a devil’s advocate”, propagating “spiritual vices”, but stopped short of pronouncing an anathema against him, Moskovskiy Komsomolets daily reported Friday.

“Our marriage is a mere formality,” the deputy explained to MK. “I do not belong to a sexual minority, but I am ready to stand up for the civil rights of gays and lesbians in Russia. An attempt to register an official marriage between the two males was conceived as an action of protest against the discrimination of sexual minorities.”

Murzin began campaigning for the legalization of homosexual marriages a year ago. He began by initiating amendments to the Bashkortostan family legislation. In fact, the only change Murzin insisted on was to amend the legal definition of marriage, which by law is entered into by mutual consent of a man and a woman. Murzin said that that should be changed to “by mutual consent of citizens”. Ufa’s lawmakers, however, rejected Murzin’s revolutionary ideas.

“Some 5 to 10 percent of Russians are homosexual,” insists Edvard Murzin. “In addition to being neglected by nature, they also suffer from their rights being infringed upon. If God saw those people he would surely say: ’Go ahead, guys, continue what you’ve started!’.”

Murzin submitted his draft to the State Duma — the lower house of the Russian parliament. However, the federal lawmakers did not accept the proposal either. Murzin even tried to sue the State Duma at the Supreme Court, but the court refused to initiate proceedings, suggesting that the deputy appeal to the Constitutional Court instead.

Then Murzin revised his tactics. “I have opted for a surer way. What I need is to have my application for the registration of marriage between the two men rejected, and then to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.”

The chief editor of a Web-site for gays, Eduard Mishin, agreed to play the role of bride.

Incidentally, Murzin’s wife Olga, 28, fully backs her husband and has nothing against his entering into a “marriage” with Mishin. “Olga understands me. She knows that I am a rights champion,” says Murzin.

Observers, polled by MK, agreed that Murzin’s action is likely to attract wide public attention. An official at one of the Moscow civilian registrar’s said: “Let Mr. Murzin come. We will show him the provision of the law that expressly states, that in our country a marriage is possible only between a man and woman. And of course, his request will be rejected.”

Homosexual marriages have been legalized in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, and in the U.S. states of Vermont and Massachusetts.

wheresthebeef

Homosexual marriages have been legalized in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, and in the U.S. states of Vermont and Massachusetts.

is this true. Have all these countries fully passed into law that homosexuals can be married and enjoy all the rights of a married couple???

damien

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_union

More Civil Unions than marriage. New Zealand is bringing it in as is the UK.

MicraBoy

To my mind this is more making a mockery of the institution of marraige than doing any thing for gay rights.

The guy is already married, and the person he wants to marry is just a random punter. Why not get a genuine commited gay couple to do this?

Plus surely his application can be rejected on the fact he is already married rather than because it is two men trying to get married?

damien

MicraBoy wrote:

To my mind this is more making a mockery of the institution of marraige than doing any thing for gay rights.

It's also a mockery in the fact that I can marry my friend and then her girlfriend can go and marry my boyfriend and nobody will question whether we are in love and are doing it for all the right reasons. I want to marry who I want and can't. Meanwhile last year Britney marries a friend for the laugh while drunk, divorces a few days later and nothing is said.

I get where you're coming from though and this Russian chap just seems to want to get votes, but at least it's an attempt to get people equal rights and it's an interesting way to do it.

the_syco

MicraBoy wrote:

Why not get a genuine commited gay couple to do this?

Plus surely his application can be rejected on the fact he is already married rather than because it is two men trying to get married?

I'm sure he's doing this, as he's a deputy in the Bashkortostan republican legislature in central Russia. Two normal people would be ignored, but he's exploiting what power he has. Also, because he's a deputy, and already married, it may bring up a forum of some type to discuss the rights of homosexuals.

I believe the saying is "no publicity is bad publicity". Even if its negative, it will still be noticed, by someone.

Stark

Both damien.m and Micraboy make good points. It is an interesting way of promoting equal rights. What I'm afraid of though is that it'll play right into the hands of the ****wits who claim gay marriage violates the "sanctity" of marriage.

Hopefully the people who'll be positively affected by this will be in the majority.

MicraBoy

I agree this has good publicity stunt value, after all we are talking about it!

However the article suggests the idea is to get the issue into the Constitutional Court. I think the whole thing will go tits up there because of the circumstances of the applicants (bride and groom!). To properly challenge it in that sort of arena a genuine couple would be better.

Meanwhile last year Britney marries a friend for the laugh while drunk, divorces a few days later and nothing is said.

Don't get me started on that bint!