Posted on 05/16/2009 11:56:08 AM PDT by Maelstorm
MOSCOW (AP) - Riot police violently broke up several gay rights demonstrations in Moscow on Saturday, hauling away scores of protesters hours before the Russian capital hosted a major international pop music competition.
City officials had warned they would not tolerate marches or rallies supporting the rights of gays and lesbians. Activists had targeted Moscow, which was holding the finals of the Eurovision song contest on Saturday, to press their claims that Russia officially sanctions homophobia.
Police seized gay rights protesters as well as some members of religious and nationalist groups that staged counter-demonstrations. They also took away gay rights activists for simply talking to reporters, and ripped the bra and shirt off one female protester.
Moscow police spokesman Anatoly Listovetsky said 40 people were detained, although media reports said up to 80 had been seized.
Among those detained were British activist Peter Tatchell and American activist Andy Thayer of Chicago, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Why don’t they go protest in Iraq?
Hulka: Therefore, in either case, to say homosexuality is “normal” is wrongheaded.
Look, I am not arguing for the rightness or wrongness of homosexuality. I am not arguing that the situation of homosexuals is the same as racial minorities or women.
But what I am saying is that homosexuals have the same right as anyone else to gather peacefully and lawfully advocate changes to the law or to society. This isn't a special right, it's a basic right of every human being.
Do we, as FReepers, really like the idea of government that shuts down speech because it is unpopular and controversial? It's not the worst abuse of government power ever but it's not something we should admire.
What about peaceful protest in support of raping children or having sex with animals? While what you say may sound nice it is exactly why perversion is acceptable in the US today. There is right and wrong. When a society no longer has moral absolutes it falls.
“On the other hand, should a nation have the right to protect their culture and morality from outside influence.”
Are cultural wars going to be won by government violence?
1) That’s why homosexuality used to be illegal until the Supreme Court legalized it. People don’t want perverts marching nude in on the streets where their children live. Maybe homosexuality is still illegal there.
2) Why would any country (except open borders America) allow foreigners to enter their country to protest on their own streets?
sovereignty: the right to self-government without interference from outside
You would prefer a mass mob of regular citizens fighting the cultural war? Who is going to be in charge of that mob? You think there would be more law & order available via random acts of patriotic violence or via "the government" attempting to "fight the culture war"?
As much as murderers, rapists, pedophiles (which homosexuality overlaps), adulterers, and philanderers, have the right to "peacefully" advocate for the acceptance of their afflictions. We are all sinners -- but we do no one a favor by pretending that it is acceptable to advocate sin. The foundations of society are eroded, and eventually that society collapses into a culture that cannot tell right from wrong, nor up from down. And the sinner is kept on the fast lane to hell as society encourages him to go on his way, telling him that he does no wrong.
Good for the Russians.
Do we, as FReepers,...
Yes, poison should not be released into society. Equating the promotion of homosexual 'rights' on the same plane as demonstrating for "unpopular and controversial" political rights is playing the game of moral equivalence. They aren't the same. Sin should be opposed, not celebrated.
A right to assemble peaceably is enshrined in our constitution as God-given (First Amendment). Russia has no Bill of Rights and, because they don't recognize any God (Creator), the state is the arbiter of what is a right and what is not. Therefore, (wrongly) in Russia there is no “right” to protest or assemble.
In this case I side not with the homosexuals nor the government. It is one thing to protest for Human Rights, in toto, but to merely protest for select rights that favor a decadent sexual practice garners no sympathy on my part.
Good point.
Guess the homosexual lobby discovered that too.
Those people are lucky to be alive.
For once, we can root for the Russians.
Actually in Russia, they mandate that schools teach about Russian Orthodox culture.
At one point you have to draw the line between protecting the culture and morality, and free speech. Excessive tolerance for cultural and moral depravity in the name of freedom have led us to where we are today.
I can root for them but I still don’t trust them. They are dangerous because they still operate from the perspective of their own interests. We however take a beating in the press when doing exactly that.
Oh, I agree, 100%. Russians aren't that different from "Soviets." Same attitudes with satellite TV and expensive tastes.
But Tim, it is exactly our principles on which we stand when the subject of gays comes up. We do not dress like whores, fellate each other in public, nor scream at people that we are heterosexuals at every opportunity. We expect others to refrain from such indecent behavior as well, otherwise, they should be shunned. Shunning and a proper upbringing used to be the way we kept society wholesome. Both are what have gone out the window these days, much to our detriment. Yes, the Russians are being heavy handed. So what else is new about the Russians? At least they're still trying to protect their society from the tattering influences that are hurting us so much now.
Just sayin.'
So we should be able to shut protests in the US (despite the First Amendment) if we deem it necessary to protect our culture from "outside influence"? I know it's largely pointless because the extremely homophobic here aren't usually swayed by things like thoughtfulness or principle. It's all emotion and as such the republic loses as we grant government more and more power to protect us from more and more boogeymen.
>>>Are you willing to go to war with Russia over this? If not, there is nothing you can do about it. And don’t mention diplomatic sanctions; they’ll just laugh at you.
Total strawman. It’s not a question of going to “war” with Russia. It’s about so called “true conservatives” cheering on Russian police thugs who are beating people for daring to talk to reporters and similar “immoral” conduct. “Conservative values” my aunt fanny.
Protesting without a permit can get you arrested in many lands. Getting beaten for peaceful protest is however another matter. The people applauding this are a LOT worse then the militant gays who harassed Miss California. At least nobody beat her up.
This story isn’t just about Russia. I expect Russians to be thugs. However I expect better from this site. But more and more I find myself let down.
*Gasp* A country acting in their own best interests. Can't have that, now can we?
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