Vatican back Moscow's Gay Pride ban
Author: Jonty Skrufff
Friday, April 21, 2006
Russia’s top Catholic representative Archbishop Antonio Mennini sided with fundamentalist Muslim and Jewish religious leaders this weeks to publicly back Mayor Luzhkov’s decision to ban Moscow’s upcoming Gay Pride Parade.
“I think it is a wise decision,” Archbishop Mennini told Russian news agency Interfax.
“I would like to point out what is essential and indisputable to any reasonable person: such a manifestation (demonstration) would certainly lead to an aggravated tension in Russian society and possibly even to violence, which is inadmissible in any case,” he suggested.
His comments echoed those of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexis II and chairman Rabbi Zinoviy Kogan who both previously described Pride as ‘propaganda for sin’ and Grand Mufti Talgat Tajuddin, who urged Muslims and Orthodox believers to thrash any gays daring to take to the streets.
The Archbishop’s comments appeared as civil rights champion Peter Tatchell became actively involved in the issue, telling Russian portal GayRussia.ru, “there are only two options: run and hide or stand and fight”.
“Keeping our heads down is not an option,” he advised, “Hiding and compromising just gives homophobes encouragement. They think they can get away with bashing us. It is only when we are strong and defiant that the bigots will start giving us respect.”
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