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Moscow bans Pride
Saint Basil Moscow
Moscow has banned gay Pride.
A Pride parade had been scheduled to march through the Russian capital on 16 May, but the Mayor’s office has stated that such a parade will not be allowed to take place.
“The Moscow government is declaring that there has never been and never will be a gay parade in Moscow,” the Mayor’s press secretary, Sergei Tsoi, stated.
Pride events, Tsoi claimed, are aimed at “not only destroying the moral foundations of our society but deliberately provoking disorder threatening the lives and security of Muscovites and guests to the city.”
Tsoi said that any attempts to stage a parade or demonstration would be met with legal action.
Previous applications to hold Pride parades have been repeatedly rejected by the authorities, and Russian gay rights groups have appealed against the decisions to the European Court of Human Rights.
Gay rights leader, Nikolai Alexeyev has said that he hopes the parade will still go head despite government opposition.
Moscow Pride coincides with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest which this year is being held in the Russian capital, and Mr Alexeyev hopes that participants in the Contest will lend their support to the event,
While homosexuality was legalised in 1993 in Russia fierce anti-gay sentiment still remains.
The Mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov, is on records as describing gay rights marches as “satanic” and has promised they will never be allowed in Moscow.
