by Andy Thayer, Gay Liberation Network (Chicago), participant in Moscow Pride 2011
The first and most important thing that needs to be said is that we are very fortunate that no Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender activists exercising their right to peaceably assemble were killed near Red Square on May 28, 2011.
While Western media sources have made a great deal out of the fact that a few visiting Western activists got some minor injuries at the hands of the police or fascists, they have been virtually silent about the fact that a leading Russian transgender activist, Anna Komarova, a long-time member of the GayRussia organization, was kicked three or four times in the head while he lay on the pavement, and due only to good fortune was not seriously injured or killed.
Another participant, Elena Kostyuchenko, a journalist with Novaya Gazeta newspaper who came out of the closet as a Lesbian on Saturday, joining the protest with her rainbow flag, was still hospitalized as of my last information from yesterday. I do not know the nature of her injuries or the prognosis for her recovery.
The primary responsibility for these near-tragedies lies with the fascists, who were charged with only minor crimes, and the Russian government which allowed the serious crimes of assault and attempted murder to occur, despite possessing overwhelming force. These crimes did not occur in some back alleyway or on an obscure side street, but in broad daylight literally about 50 yards away from Red Square.
Secondary responsibility for these crimes lies with all of those non-Russian governments, including the Obama administration, which valued their trade and military relationships with the Russian government over speaking out for human rights. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, who are fond of talking about human rights violations when they occur in small nations which can be kicked around by the United States, especially if those nations are not allied with the U.S., abysmally failed the test of human rights leadership on Saturday.
After the Russian authorities banned Moscow Pride a few weeks ago – in direct contravention to the 17th Article of the Russian Constitution and last fall’s unanimous decision of the European Court of Human Rights – Moscow Pride organizers directly appealed to all Western embassies to issue public statements to the Russian government before the protest.
All of these governments, including the Obama administration, failed to do so. The U.S. embassy told Pride organizers that they would simply “monitor the situation.” As a result, the Russian riot police apparently felt they had a free hand to conduct themselves in the same brutal manner as at previous Prides.
The U.S. embassy in Moscow did finally issue a brief statement about the attacks on Moscow Pride only after the event, signed by a lesser State Department official (http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2011/05/20110531095808su6.131709e-02.html?CP.rss=true#axzz1NxHLj0G7).
In Western news articles, the roles of myself, Dan Choi and other international activists in Moscow Pride 2011 were magnified out of all proportion to our actual participation. LGBT Russians suffered the greatest degree of violence and took by far the greatest risks – and continue to do so – and yet their sufferings have gone almost totally unnoticed by the international press. The least we can do as people in the West is speak out about impending violence before it happens, and thus help forestall that violence.
Link to my statement at the Friday, May 27 press conference before Moscow Pride:
http://www.feastoffun.com/topics/news-rumors/2011/05/27/moscow-gays-to-defy-police-neo-nazi-threats/comment-page-1/#comment-49818
Link to interview with GayRussia activist Anna Komarova:
And look for my in-depth interview with pioneering Trans activist Komarova appearing tomorrow here at Feast of Fun — “The Birth of a Transgender Movement in Russia”
VIDEO: Birth of a Transgender Movement in Russia
Video of Today’s Moscow Pride 2011
Moscow Gays to Defy Police & Neo-Nazi Threats
The Birth of a Transgender Movement in Russia
2 Comments
Comments
Just a few weeks ago I saw the movie, Beyond Gay – The History of Pride. It gave me a real sense of context as to how brave the Russian activists are and how repressed their society is. More importantly it gave me focus – to admit how puny our demands here in the uS, which seem so radical from a narrow lens of conservatives. We are actually on the last steps in our marathon and the US must finish full equality under the law AND we must simultaneously stand with LGBT around the world as we are so far ahead of them in our rights. It is like oxygen – we can breathe and we must demand it for everyone.
Thank you Andy, thank you Dan, thanks to all who traveled and brought back the message; we are everywhere, no one can be ignored.
It’s a stain on Russia to allow themselves to be pushed around by the fascists. It is what keeps a third-world country, third-world. I wasn’t surprised to see the police at Budapest pride being so incompetent towards the invading fascists but I expected more from the Russian police. Maybe it’s because I’m Russian.
Russia, you embarrass us all when you let the police just stand there like a bunch of overpaid idiots. Learn to protect your people (not just the corrupt ones!) and maybe then the world can respect you.
I wish it were simply the incompetence of the police. Instead, they directly attacked us, with the fascists getting in their kicks and punches where they could. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmDTbnztHgY&feature=player_embedded
You have misgendered the trans-woman activist in the beginning of this article when you wrote “Anna Komarova, a long-time member of the GayRussia organization, was kicked three or four times in the head while he lay on the pavement”. Please change that.
Thank you.
I wrote to Andy to clarify and Anna does use “he.”
Shame on the Russian government and shame on the EU, with which Russia does more than 50% of its trade, for not doing more against the violence on a political level. Particular shame on Germany for not doing more against it, as Germany is the largest trading partner of Russia and has very close relations with Russia. Well, I guess ex chancellor Gerhard Schröder gives a damn and takes the offer from Gazprom, the large Russian state gas company, to be a member of Gazprom’s board of directors. From the current chancellor Merkel who can speak Russian fluently I can expect no help. In an interview some months ago she showed her office, on her desk is no photo of her family only one photo from Catherine the Great.
Andy T., Thank you for your commitment to reporting what has been happening on the ground, and the sacrifices of the Russian activists. Yours and Russian activists’ efforts promote not only LGBT rights, but also the rule of law in Russia by exposing its absence.
I wanted to point out the contrast between the St. Petersburg and Moscow city governments with respect to LGBT rights rallies, because St. Pete is receiving little attention in Western reports. The St. Petersburg police protected a rainbow flash mob at the Aviators Park south of the city center during the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia last month. In addition, other events happened out in provincial areas of Russia that are worth noting. http://www.lgbtnet.ru/news/detail.php?ID=4692
It seems St. Petersburg gov’t. is showing signs of abiding by the European Court for Human Rights decision in favor of Russian LGBT activists, while Moscow city government punches the Court and the LGBT community in the face. I am sure the Russian federal authorities are aware of this, and it is worth sharing with a Western audience.