Demonstration of solidarity with Russian LGBT citizens in front of the Russian Embassy

Today, 18 December, a demonstration of solidarity with the Russian LGBT citizens took place in front of the Russian Embassy. On n19 December, the Russian Federation State Duma was to examine in first reading a draft law on prohibition of the so-called “propaganda of homosexuality among minors” on the federal level. Similar laws have been already adopted locally in nine regions of Russia. The practice of their application proves that the laws do not serve to protect children but are a tool of pressure on civil society activists and human rights defenders.

If adopted, this law will violate fundamental rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to freedoms of assembly and expression. Its consequences will threaten the activity of Russian LGBT activists and human rights defenders, as well as they will further the stigmatization, discrimination and violence against LGBT citizens in general.

The main slogans of the demonstration were:
- We demonstrate in solidarity with Russian LGBT people and human rights defenders
- We demonstrate against any further attempts to violate basic human rights in Russia
- We demonstrate against hate and intolerance in Russia
Due to unfavourable weather conditions, which have settled in Moldova during the last week, only five persons participated in the demonstration of solidarity. Despite this fact, the demonstration was a loud event – with slogans and chanting: “No to homophobia in Russia”, “We demand respect of human rights in Russia”, “LGBT rights are human rights”, etc. Moldovan human rights defenders voiced their message and left a petition to the Russian authorities. In the petition, which was left in the mail box of the Russian Embassy, human rights defenders took a stand against adoption of the law on so-called “propaganda of homosexuality among minors”.
It is worth to mention that while attempting to leave the petition, demonstrators face some resistance from the Embassy guards.
“When we tried to drop the petition into the mail box, the Embassy guard cut off the access and did not allow us to do this. My colleague Artiom Zavadovschi explained that it was our message to the Russian authorities and that we wanted to drop it in and leave. Then the guard said, “Leave now!” The second attempt filed too. We asked the guard why we weren’t allowed to drop in our petition into the mail box since its destination was for letters and other correspondence. He answered that an Embassy representative would come out to us later and we would be able to pass the petition to him. After several minutes of waiting, we demanded that the Embassy representative came out but there was no reaction. Then we rang the Embassy gate bell and inquired if we could use the Embassy mail box on the fence to leave our petition. The answer was positive. Only after this the guard let us drop in the paper”, said demonstration participant Anastasia Danilova, executive director of the GENDERDOC-M Information Centre.  

Daniela GOLBAN
Photos by the author

EDITOR’S NOTE. As we have learnt from the information on the well-known Russian on-line portal GAY.RU, on Monday, the Russian State Duma Council postponed first reading of the bill # 44554-6 “On introduction of amendments to the Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offences”, informally known as the bill on federal prohibition of the so-called “propaganda of homosexuality among minors”. Parliament members are going to come back to the scandalous draft law on 22 January 2013. 

2012-12-18