Russian Anti-Gay Law Goes One Step Further

The Russian Government tend to have a recent history of
arresting those who support gay rights. This arrest was made
during a demonstration in Moscow, 27 May 2007. Russian
police arrested Russian gay rights activists and a leading
British campaigner as they demonstrated outside the
Moscow mayor's office.

It was February 7th and I got an email that made my blood boil once more. The horrific anti-gay bill is back and it's worse than before. The email was from Polina from Coming Out, a St. Petersburg LGBT Organization. It was to alert me that this law could have been passed on the 8th, just 24 hours after I received the email. But it looks as if the law has been moving a lot slower than that - and it's just as well.

In December 2011, hundreds of thousands of All Out members from around the world stood with Polina and other Coming Out members in Russia to stop this bill. One that would make it illegal to speak publicly about being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Together, they stopped the vote from taking place. But at the beginning of this month, opponents of equality in Russia pushed it forward again in a last minute development, hoping the gay rights activists didn't have the time to get organized and fight back. This left them rushing to organize a public protest against the law.

Political leaders in St. Petersburg are about to make it illegal for any person to write a book, publish an article or speak in public about being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. And that would be the calm before the storm as if the law passes in St. Petersburg, officials have threatened to take it nationwide. The ruling party led by President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin could make millions of people invisible with the stroke of a pen. The measure, which would fine groups or individuals who promote homosexuality, pedophilia, or transgenderism to minors, has been condemned by the international community and passed its first of three readings in late November and it's second reading just a few days ago on Friday 10th February. 

 
 State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland promised to take these concerns to the Moscow Embassy

No matter where you are, you can stand with them. Call your country's Foreign Affairs office now and tell them to use every means possible to stop this law from passing.  If enough of us call, we can create pressure and stop this anti-gay law, or make sure it does not pass without notice. So far, it has received little or no coverage from the media and it needs the attention it deserves. This law would throw the civil rights movement in Russia back decades.

ACT NOW! Click here to find out the right phone number to call:

www.allout.org/en/russia_call