Time and Date: 3:45 pm, Thursday, 1 December
Location:
Meet in front of the Nandos by Notting Hill Gate Tube station to walk to the Russian Embassy
6/7 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QP
According to the Pink Paper:
The city of St Petersburg has passed a law which puts in place fines for people who promote the LGBT community to minors.
The new law passed by 27 votes to 1, having been introduced by the ruling United Russia party.
It introduces fines for “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, to minors” and “propaganda of paedophilia”.
Fines range from 1,000 roubles (£20) for an individual to 50,000 (£1,000) for a business.
Polina Savchenko, General manager of LGBT organization Coming Out, Russia told LGBT Asylum News while the bill was being discussed: “By combining homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality into one law with sexual crimes against minors, members of the Legislative Assembly indulge in gross manipulations of public opinion.
“Their goal – to pass an anti-democratic law, directed at severely limiting human rights in St. Petersburg.
She added: “Organizers of public events cannot restrict access of minors to any open area; people under 18 can be there just by chance. Consequently, it makes any public campaigns aimed at reducing xenophobia and hate crime prevention impossible.”
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/21/st-petersburg-passes-gay-propaganda-law/
Similar laws are already in place in the Ryazan region and Arkhangelsk region. Wikipedia states that “according to Russian media, a similar regional law is being drafted in Moscow city legislature and according to Federation Council of Russia speaker Valentina Matviyenko such ban on ‘propaganda of homosexualism’ might also be adopted on federal level in order to ‘protect the children from destructive influence’.”
The international community must stand up to these attempts to scapegoat Russian LGBT people.
Join us at 3:45 on 1 December to march to the Embassy to protest this anti-democrat homo and transphobic law. Bring signs, banners, etc.
Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178542975572908
This event has been moved to coincide with the World AIDS Day protest of Russia’s treatment of IV Drug Users. See more
about that at: http://russianembassyprotest.wordpress.com/
