According to founder of Moscow Pride Nikolai Alekseev, Kaluga authorities have refused to agree on holding a gay parade scheduled for September 23 by activists.
Kaluga administration explained the refusal by the fact that such actions violated Russian law banning propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors.
LGBT activists applied for holding processions on Suvorov Street; besides, they wanted to hold a picket at two squares of Peace and Constitution on September 15. Organizers had planned that 500 people could take part in actions "in support of tolerance and respect for the rights and freedoms of persons of homosexual orientation in Russia".
According to Nikolai Alekseev, refusal of the authorities was expected. Only this year, LGBT activists have applied for the carrying out of actions in defense of the rights of sexual minorities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kostroma, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Tula, Tyumen, Yalta, Simferopol and Sevastopol. Before that activists tried to reconcile gay parades in Tambov, Ryazan, Sochi and Khimki. Everywhere the authorities responsible on the basis of the refusal of the gay propaganda law. LGBT activists continued their struggle for equal rights in the courts. Basically, the courts stood on the side of the authorities, but in Kostroma and Khimki organizers proved that the refusal was illegal. Moreover, proceedings to ban parades in eight cities of Russia will be held in the European Court of Human Rights.
'Our main goal is to finally make the Russian authorities respect the Constitution and our right to freedom of assembly. That's why we file such applications everywhere. ECHR is only one of the means of achieving this goal. As well as media, for example. Our goal is not to promote sexual relationships, but achieve equal rights. So, these actions have nothing to do with undermining of children's morals,' Nikolai Alekseev said.
He added that refusal of the authorities to coordinate actions of Kaluga LGBT activists will be also appealed in court.
May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Ryazan cossacks did not allow representatives of the LGBT community to hold a flashmob. People in uniform of сossack сorps conducted an operation to destroy seven rainbow balloons. Their representative Yevgeny Suprun told "7x7" that Ryazan Cossacks stopped action of the LGBT activists for the first time and promised to continue to to keep their head down on the mother land of Air Landing Troops. On the same day the LGBT activist Violetta Grudina held rainbow flashmob in Murmansk to commemorate the victims of homophobia. Within half an hour she stood in the center of the town with rainbow balloons and poster calling "to be courageous, confident, and with dignity" on the day against homophobia. Passers-by reacted calmly, the police did not interfere. Earlier, Nikolay Alexeyev said that the North-West of Russia, including Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, are the most tolerant in the country.
Natalia Turchinskaya, «7x7»
