Russia - LGBT situation

The peace prize is a joke has been for years,
besides that you have seen who the "nomination" is from yes ?,

If you talk to a lot of Russians in Ireland who have come over it is interesting to get their perspective. Homosexuality was only decriminalized between adults in 1993 there. Homosexuality was officially removed from the Russian list of mental illnesses in 1999!

"Public opinion in Russia tends to be among the most hostile toward homosexuality in the world—outside predominantly Muslim countries and some parts of Asia—and the level of intolerance has been rising.A 2013 survey found that 74% of Russians said homosexuality should not be accepted by society (up from 60% in 2002), compared to 16% who said that homosexuality should be accepted by society. In a 2007 survey, 68% of Russians said homosexuality is always wrong (54%) or almost always wrong (14%). In a 2005 poll, 44% of Russians were in favor of making homosexual acts between consenting adults a criminal act, at the same time, 43% of Russians supported a legal ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2013, 16% of Russians surveyed said that gay people should be isolated from society, 22% said they should be forced to undergo treatment, and shockingly 5% said homosexuals should be "LIQUIDATED"."

LIQUIDATED ????

The statute says it is effectively illegal to hold any gay pride events, speak in defence of gay rights, or say that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships.

In a country where 5 % of people think LGTB people should be liquidated it is illegal to speak in defence of gay rights.??????? That is terrifying. It is also key ..it is illegal to speak in defence of gay rights ...for teachers etc and writers...

On 21 July 2013, four Dutch tourists were arrested for allegedly discussing gay rights with Russian youths. The four were arrested for allegedly spreading "propaganda of nontraditional relationships among the under-aged" after talking to teens at a camp in the northern city of Murmansk.

Anton Krasovsky, a television news anchor at government-run KontrTV, was immediately fired from his job in January 2013 when he announced during a live broadcast that he is gay and disgusted by the legislation that had been proposed although had not yet passed.

I have a Russian female friend who is not a homophobe but she only actually really came to understand what being gay actually is over here.

She explained also that Racism and sexism is more accepted in Russia and that actually in modern Russia there really is not concept of human rights. It is difficult to have an agreed upon standard of equality in such a society. As they do not believe that any humans automatically get that right or are dissuaded from forming this model.

I have talked to a Russian mother who said her daughter is being taught equality and recycling in her school and she thinks it can be demeaning to her own needs.

Russia is an oligarchy and it does not have the social structures and freedom of culture or freedom of speech necessary to have a democratic society or the freedom of culture and speech to show 'alternative lifestyles' or 'other' lived experiences.

Not to mention that life is very hard for people there and they tend not to sympathise easily. They believe in being overly stoic and a sense of insensitivity can be a result.

The image of stoicism is an important cultural tool in keeping ordinary Russians believing that life is tough and that they are not owed anything by their government.

Gay people and ordinary Russians ALL accept an abuse of their human rights in Russia in sometimes the most terrible way. There is a complacency of acceptance. They don't feel there is anything they CAN do. And because the govt has no conscience and will and has done anything in the past they may be right.

The structure of govt in Russia is rule under boot. It is thuggery. Putin has ruled with thuggery.


It is really partly the west's fault too.


Really Putin has abused human rights since coming into power of various groups and the west has not really launched an offensive. And so group after group has been targeted. Journalists who disagree with him, different ethnicities, people who do not support the orthodox church etc. And of course gay people.

It has got to stop.

But not just for gay people. This recent bill of course is inhumane and must be opposed.

But you cannot dismantle the master's house by using the master's tools. Asking for better rights for one group is allowing the mindset of that master to shape the debate. It would be like asking for equal rights for only rich white gay people.

A recent study showed racist attitudes were present in 50 % of Russians. In 2006, Amnesty International reported that racism and homophobia in Russia was “out of control” and estimated the number of Russian neo-Nazis at around 85,000 in 2008. Neo Nazis are the most brutal of the homophobic campaign. Peoples of the caucus ( natives of the caucus and central asia) and Jews are under constant attack. The president of Georgia went so far as to accuse Russia of ethnic cleansing. That is how brutal society is there. To expect people to be able to formulate a view of human rights for all in such a society is not realistic.On 21 April 2001, there was a massacre in a market in Moscow's Yasenevo District against merchants from the Caucasus.International rights groups have described the current situation as the worst human rights climate in the post-Soviet era.

The Russian orthodox church responded by suggesting that Neo Nazis legally preventing crime and immoral behavior. And then THIS BILL IS PASSED ....so it basically gives them a big push to act against gay people.

In the Moscow Serbsky Institute many prominent Soviet dissidents had been incarcerated after having been diagnosed with sluggishly progressing schizophrenia. I bet dissidents might also be charged with homosexuality in future.

They are also re-writing history ...Tchaikovsky was no longer gay apparently ..

I would argue we should boycott all russian products.

I am sick of the west kissing the arses of Tyrants.

Lou.m wrote: »

I would argue we should boycott all russian products.

Do you have Gas central heating?

While anyone can and should be rightly critical of intolerance, ther is so much intolerance around the world why single out Russia?