According to Moscow human rights activist of LGBT movement Nikolai Alekseev, municipality of Kirov refused to hold a gay parade in Kirov.
According to the documents, LGBT people wanted to hold two meetings in the Alexander Garden and in the park of the 60th anniversary of the USSR, as well as procession from Azin street to Profsoyuznaya street on November 5. The declared number of participants – 300 people.
Municipality refused to hold all three events, citing the fact that meetings will be organized in less than a hundred meters from a variety of public places – stadium, playground, regional geriatric center, where public speaking is not allowed. Procession is prohibited, as children may see it, which is not allowed by the law on the promotion of non-traditional relationships to minors.
Nikolai Alekseev in a comment to «7x7» stated that, in his opinion, these bans are completely illegal.
‘We wrote in the notification that we agreed to any place. By law, authorities must offer an alternative. But they didn’t. To that extent, they felt that the march and rallies would become gay propaganda. We are going to apply to court tomorrow. If necessary, we will bring the case to the ECHR,’ he said.
In other cities of Russia holding gay parades is also banned. This is what happened in Moscow, Simferopol, Mari El, Kaluga, Arkhangelsk, Tula, Murmansk, Sevastopol, Yalta, Tyumen. LGBT activists challenged these decisions in courts, in most cases they were denied. But in Kostroma and Khimki organizers proved that refusal was illegal. Besides, proceedings on banning the meetings in eight cities of Russia will be held in the European Court of Human Rights.
On the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17 сossacks did not allow representatives of the LGBT community to hold a flashmob in Ryazan. People in the form of Cossack Corps conducted an operation to destroy seven rainbow balloons. In Murmansk, the same action was held quietly.
Katerina Klepikovskaya, «7x7»
