Comments on: Russian Deputy PM Suggests “Homosexual Propaganda” Bill Can Be Made Federal

By: Darina

Darina — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:54:05 +0000

Charles, here are some more links for you:
RUSSIA: HEARING OF ANTI-GAY BILL POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER ELECTIONS http://comingoutspb.ru/en/en-news/hearingpostponedafterelections

And the All Out petition is now going on 250,000 signatures from all over the world: http://www.allout.org/russia_silenced

By: Charles

Charles — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:34:14 +0000

“The whole thing started as a miscalculated populist local election campaign, but the bill has already backfired very badly in St Petersburg and caused an international scandal. But well, some people are obstinate like this. – Darina”

I am glad to hear that it has backfired. Yes, some people are obstinate, uncaring and I would say just unwilling to believe that we do not choose our sexual orientation.

By: Timothy (TRiG)

Timothy (TRiG) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:28:12 +0000

Yeah, carry on with that, Russia. We'll see you in Strasbourg. Article 9

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion

Article 10

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. this right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers

Article 11

Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others

Article 14

The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status

(Thank you, Winston Churchill.)

By: Darina

Darina — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:03:53 +0000

Yes, Charles, that’s the very word. I know it for sure because I’ve read the original Russian text of the bill. Here it is, in case somebody other than me understands Russian: http://kvir.ru/gay_ru/9405.pdf

And here is a translation of it into English: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1t6I2LC8jm89qtUSm7GDV0k6CJM7o039cnWX0JVkZWbv-mdj5laIF9JSM1MUv&hl=en_US

The word that is translated as “sodomy” for lack of a better English equivalent is an old Russian (and generally Slavic) word that I can best render literally as “man-bedding,” i.e. man-on-man sex. I would only expect a priest or theologist to use the word here in Bulgaria in full seriousness, but I don’t know if it really goes in secular contexts in Russia.

The whole thing started as a miscalculated populist local election campaign, but the bill has already backfired very badly in St Petersburg and caused an international scandal. But well, some people are obstinate like this.

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:20:43 +0000

If the Russians who are proposing this legislation are using the word propaganda, that infuriates the hell out of me. Truth is not propaganda. And, may I ask Jim, the author of this article, do Russian psychiatrists conform with modern western psychiatry in listing homosexuality as not being a mental disorder?

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:00:35 +0000

As usual the myth of the acceptance of human homosexuality somehow equates to the acceptance of pedophilia persists. Are Russian psychiatrists still sending political dissidents to psychiatric hospitals, too?

If I were a Russian legislator I would worry far more about the high rate of abortion and low birth rate in the country.