Saturday, 27 May 2006

"Gay Parade" Cancelled, but Scandal Continues

2006/05/27. "The advertised Gay Parade procession will not bet held..." informs a Gay Information Agency (Legal Information New Agency (LINA)).

The Day Against Homophobia Conference, which opened yesterday and which was supposed to conclude in a so-called Gay Parade, was attended by 50 people, 11 of whom were Russian citizens. Previous activities of the Festival ... were also extremely sparsely attended."

It is still not known which Russian Gay Activists are to take part in the activities that have aroused loud scandals for the past few weeks. The parade is ... tearing apart the very community it's supposed to be bringing together," reported a CBS journalist based in Moscow. Plans for holding Pride are dividing Russian gays ..." writes Outinamerica.

"Interfax" informs that the organizers, who earlier were planning to lead 2,000 people onto the streets, are now preparing to place flowers on the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in Alexandrov Garden, and then join an unspecified picketing near the Governor's Home on Tverskaya. Information regarding this was voiced at a press conference, in which Deputy Bundestag, Deputy of the Euro Parliament and the Vice Mayor of Paris took part. There is still no information about whether or not they will participate in the later-planned, unsanctioned actions.

Gay activists, who spoke out against the parade will not be permitted into any of the activities in hotel "Red Hills," remarks LINA. "Organizers have forbidden entrance to any representatives of the Press, who have not previously obtained accreditation and permission from the organizers of the festival."

It was previously reported that Moscow Police have been ordered to maintain a heightened vigilance on Saturday and streets in Central Moscow will be patrolled by augmented forces to prevent possible riots.

english.gay.ru

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