Russia dropping fast in list of places I want to visit...

[JKane]

Anybody here from there or visit regularly? How bad is it?

European Parliament Condemns LGBT Censorship in Russia

[Guest FourAces]

I know a few years back Marc Anthony went to Russia and had kind of a luke warm time if I recall properly. You might want to check with him on his experience or maybe do a search here for his posts about it.

[Guest hitoallusa]

If you like museums and historic places then you will have a great time.

[marcanthony]

I felt VERY unwelcome in Moscow. The bars were unfriendly. One day when were going to 3 monkeys (the gay bar), there was a police raid of the place on our way over with people up against the wall, so we kept on walking. I went to one very dark underground dance club, and I felt very uncomfortable. All that being said, the boys are beautiful. I took a boy home from the dance club and he took my camera though. It was worth it. lol. But I plan to never return to Moscow.

St. Petersburg was much better. The city is much more used to taking care of "western" tourists, and definitely felt more welcome. Boys were just as cute, and no one stole my camera. I met my St. Petersburg guide on Flirt 4 Free before I got there, and he was beautiful, lived with me for the entire time I was there, took me to museums and points of interests, and slept in my bed at night. That part of the trip was wonderful.

That was just my experience. Others may like Moscow better as the gay scene is underground, but definitely larger.

[Guest hitoallusa]

I never find Russians attractive though. I don't know why.

[JKane]

[...]

That was just my experience. Others may like Moscow better as the gay scene is underground, but definitely larger.

Thanks Marc!!!

I've always thought Russian boys were sexy as hell and love some of the porn with Russian/eastern block guys the most, and I've always had other interests in seeing Russia too. But it does sound like as a gay tourist it is deeply problematic at best.

Good to know St. Petersburg is better, maybe do the gay tourist thing there and just be a regular tourist in Moscow is the best way to go about things.

But it sounds like it's getting worse, not better, which is odd.

[Guest EXPAT]

I've been to Moscow a number of times although not since 2005 (my last visit). I loved my private tour of The Kremlin. That was one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen. And I remember when I went to the center of Red Square, I called my father (who is a WW2 Veteran) and told him I was in the middle of Red Square. He said, "Are you safe?". I said, well there is a Prada, Ralph Lauren, and Gucci store on one side of the square, I think I'm safe, although my wallet might not be.

I had a number of meetings with the heads of all of the banks while I was there the first time and every visit we had to have a toast with vodka. By the end of the day I probably had 8 shots of vodka easily and this was before 4PM. It was an experience to say the least.

But what I noticed about the men is that they are all taller than I'm used to. It seems all the gay men in Weho are 5'8" tall. where are all the tall gay men?

[JKane]

But what I noticed about the men is that they are all taller than I'm used to. It seems all the gay men in Weho are 5'8" tall. where are all the tall gay men?

Good point, I'm used to everybody being "short" so hadn't really noticed, but that's definitely a part of the WeHo Clone look. Maybe it's because they only have sex with each other...

Certainly a lot more diversity at places like MJs.

[MsGuy]

St. Petersburg was much better... I met my St. Petersburg guide on Flirt 4 Free before I got there, and he was beautiful, lived with me for the entire time I was there, took me to museums and points of interests, and slept in my bed at night. That part of the trip was wonderful.

Living the dream!

[BigK]

Good to know St. Petersburg is better, maybe do the gay tourist thing there and just be a regular tourist in Moscow is the best way to go about things.

St. Petersburg is wonderful, but better plan 3 days at The Hermitage. I only had 3/4 of a day in the 80's and remember virtually running through ballroom sized rooms.

[Lucky]

You want cute Russian boys? Go to Pattaya, Thailand. There are many Russians there, and some of the boys are superbly beautiful. Horrible dressers, though, but the idea would be to get them naked, wouldn't it?

That said, I would love to see St. Petersburg, but I feel badly for gays who have to live in an oppressive society.

[MsGuy]

The impression I get from Russians I've chatted with online is that the general public attitude resembles that found in the USA circa early 70's. Maybe not quite as bad.

[JKane]

Even St. Petersburg is piling on with the Anti Gay BS!

Despite international outcry from quarters ranging from Amnesty International to British author Stephen Fry, a controversial anti-gay bill was passed during a third and final reading at St. Petersburg's Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

[JKane]

Great video out of Russia on the St. Petersburg travesty.

I wouldn't have felt so strongly about this before reading about the full effects of "don't say gay" type of BS in this amazing Rolling Stone article.

[kjun12]

I have been living in Thailand for almost five years now and the number of Russian tourist has increased remarkably in the last two years. This is especially true of Pattaya but one sees them all over the country.

I think that most Thais and ex-pats living here will agree that the many of these Russians are crude, rude and what can only be described as low-class. They need a crash course with Ms. Manners. One of their favorite tricks is to walk out of restaurants and bars without paying for what they have eaten/drunk.

From all of this,I have no desire to visit Russia.

[JKane]

Arrests Begin: Straight Allies Protest Russian “Gay Propaganda" Law

A straight man was arrested this weekend for holding a sign that says, "A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her."

By Brett Edward Stout

Sergey Kondrashov

Things are staying contentious in St. Petersburg where a new law banning gay “propaganda” has gone into effect and already resulted in arrests — and not just of gays.

A lawyer and St. Petersburg native, Sergey Kondrashov, was arrested by city police Sunday for standing on a street with a sign that read, “A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her… and her family is just as equal as ours.”

As of last week, the new law made signs like his illegal and punishable by jail time and steep fines. Under the vague wording, any positive mention of homosexuality in public, in the media, or on social networking websites can be branded as illegal gay “propaganda."

Kondrashov’s actions were part of a larger effort movement of “single person pickets” staged in front of Oktobersky Concert Hall. Organizers hope to keep attention on the plight of supporters of LGBT rights in the city and to rally opposition to the national version of the law, which was recently introduced in the Duma, or lower house of the Russian Parliament.

In a letter Kondrashov wrote, “I'm straight, happily married for 16 years. And until last week I would not have been called an activist. But on Sunday in St Petersburg, I was arrested for spreading ‘gay propaganda.’”

This letter and a petition they intend to deliver to second-time President-Elect Vladimir Putin is being circulated by the international LGBT rights group AllOut. In his letter, Kondrashov explains why Putin is the intended recipient of this new petition.

“I'm appealing to the one person whose influence over the political process in Russia could help us annul this unconstitutional law in St. Petersburg, and make sure it isn't rolled out nationwide,” he wrote.

Several other protesters were considered for arrest but police ultimately decided that only Kondrashov’s and Igor Konchetkov’s signs were sufficiently violating the new law. Other signs included quotes from famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky, who himself was gay.

[JKane]

...and more, it's clearly a national--if not international priority for them! Why? Trying to make gays some kind of scapegoat/distraction for when people finally have the courage to stand up to Putin?

Russia Rejects G8 Endorsement of LGBT Rights

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the G8 Foreign Ministers at Blair House in Washington D.C. this week and one of the products of the meeting was a statement by the group affirming LGBT rights. It was endrosed by all those present, except for Russia, the Wall Street Journal reports:

Following a meeting in Washington, the statement of the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting Chair said: “The ministers reaffirmed that human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all individuals, male and female, including lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals. These individuals often face death, violence, harassment and discrimination because of their sexual orientation in many countries around the world.”

The document came with a footnote saying “the Russian Federation disassociates itself from this language given the absence of any explicit definition or provision relating to such a group or such persons as separate rights holders under international human rights law.”

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that “under the pretext of protecting the so-called sexual minorities, in effect there’s aggressive propaganda and the imposition of certain behavior and values that may insult the majority of the society.”

He added that the international law has no separate norms for the protection of people according to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Russia has been considering a federal version of the law recently passed in St. Petersburg banning gay "propaganda" which bars (and imposes fines for) gay groups, gay books and periodicals, LGBT Pride events, and other "promotion" of homosexuality. Two activists were arrested last week protesting the law.

Read more: http://www.towleroad...l#ixzz1s2VCUOKL

[JKane]

And it continues...

Moscow police detain 40 as gay activists demand right to hold parade, face Christian protest

By Associated Press, Published: May 27

MOSCOW — Gay activists tried to stage two demonstrations in Moscow on Sunday to demand the right to hold a gay pride parade in the Russian capital, but they were blocked first by Orthodox Christian opponents and then by police, who detained a total of about 40 people from both sides.

The gay activists first gathered outside the city council building, where a few scuffles occurred as their opponents tried to disrupt the demonstration, decrying homosexuality as a sin. After police broke up that protest, another group tried to stage a second protest at city hall, but once again police moved in and detained participants, including prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev.

The majority of those detained were gay activists, but some of the Christian demonstrators also were pushed into police buses. Police said about 40 people were detained in all.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay sentiment remains strong.

Activists have long petitioned the Moscow government for permission to stage such a parade, but have always been denied. Former Mayor Yuri Luzhkov described gay parades as “satanic,” while current Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said he disapproves of gay gatherings because they could offend the religious beliefs of many Russians.

Gay activist Galina Kaptur criticized city authorities for treating homosexuality as a contagious disease that would be spread through society if gays were allowed to hold a parade.

“It’s as if they thought that if all left-handed people held a parade, then afterward everyone would become left-handed,” Kaptur said. “This is wrong.”

Among the opponents of gay rights was Dmitry Tsarionov, who spoke to the crowd in front of a sign that said “Moscow is not Sodom.”

“I will not allow perverts to bring the wrath of God onto our city,” he said. “I want our children to live in a country where a sin that so awfully distorts human nature is not preached in schools.”

This month, Alexeyev became the first person convicted under a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, which makes it a crime to spread “gay propaganda” among minors. Alexeyev was charged after he picketed St. Petersburg’s city hall with a placard that said “homosexuality is not a perversion.” He was fined 5,000 rubles (about $170).

The Russian parliament is considering extending the measure nationwide, which gay activists say would make it even easier to ban their public demonstrations.

[Lucky]

Good thread, JKane. I was unaware of the depth of the problem and and appreciate having the information that you provide.

[JKane]

Thanks, it's good to know some others are interested--I was starting to wonder.

It kinda fascinates me because I figured having a lengthy atheist background they wouldn't have all the BS western hangups, but somehow they've acquired that in record time combined with vestiges of police-state... all quite sad, or worse, I'm sure, for those that live there.