This board is inundated with rhetoric and propaganda depicting religion as the reason for intolerance towards homosexuals. As you will read in this article, Russia treated homosexuality as a crime, when it was an anti religious communist state.

"The Soviet Union was an atheist state, in which religion was largely discouraged and heavily persecuted."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_Soviet_Union


Im sure this won't change anything in the minds of the religion haters, but it is a reflection of the type of society you want.



Russia warns against Eurovision gay protest

May 15 06:56 AM US/Eastern


Russia on Friday warned it would clamp down on an unsanctioned gay rights protest in Moscow planned to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest final in the Russian capital.
Russia is proudly trumpeting the holding of the annual pop extravaganza in Moscow as the latest example of its international prestige.

But away from the lights and laser beams at the mammoth 80,000-capacity Olympiysky Arena, a planned "Slavic Gay Pride" parade in central Moscow on Saturday risks showing up another aspect of modern Russia.

Previous attempts to hold a gay rights parade in Moscow were banned by the city government, and activists who defied the bans and showed up were violently harassed by ultra-nationalists.

"In case any sort of unsanctioned actions are carried out, whether it be the gay parade or some other event, the police will act strictly in adherence with the law," Leonid Vedenov, a police major general, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

"We will act in the way that we would act in relation to any unsanctioned event," said Vedenov, who heads the public safety department of the Russian interior ministry.

Russia considered homosexuality a crime until 1993 and ceased to classify it as mental illness only in 1999. Emphasising the hurdles still faced by homosexuals in Russia, the Moscow city government on Tuesday blocked an attempt by two lesbians to get married on the eve of the Song Contest.

"Although I am determined to support our Russian comrades, like them I am anxious about what may happen to us," prominent British gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said in a statement this week.

"I don't have much confidence that the Moscow police will accept our right to protest or that they will protect us against neo-Nazi violence," said Tatchell, who plans to be in Russia for the parade on Saturday.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.722d7afc0cc5da534715dbb850af1eeb.521&show_article=1

From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming be seeing you

Lets not forget the billion or so Athiest in China which feel the same way.I agree with Russia.It is a mental disorder.

Well then lets give them Soc Sec!!!!!

Well then lets give them Soc Sec!!!!!

tempt...so good you said it twice???

Always nice to know how people really feel about you. Makes life worth living, doesn't it...

Did you happen to actually read this link from Wiki you posted? Yes they "were" officially an atheist but much of the population still considered themselves Christian. No matter what the state is still going to have to appease the populace to some degree not to mention that it's a pretty safe assumption that many law makers were Christian as well whether or not the professed their faith publicly. And that's not to mention you are comparing what is happening today in Russia with what Russia many years ago. Today as many as 83% of Russians consider themselves Christian, and it is accepted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Russia

I'm not saying there may not be a point to make, just saying you haven't made it when you use unrelated data to try and prove it.

News flash dork. This is the United States. Land of the free. The year is 2009. Get with the program. Iowa, the bible belt just passed a same sex marriage law. People are free to live their lives like they please and its not against the law to be homosexual,lesbian, straight,metrosexual or whatever you choose. By the way there are religions that have members who are alternative choice life stylers, geese not all of us are athiest. Read a book will ya.

ummmm that isn't the reason behind this thread

Moscow police violently break up gay pride rally
Incident highlights country’s gay rights record as city hosts music contest

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30776382/

updated 5:27 a.m. ET, Sat., May 16, 2009

MOSCOW - Moscow police violently dispersed a gay pride rally Saturday that was banned by city authorities, drawing attention to Russia's record on gay rights as it prepares to host a major international pop music competition.

Do you realize that with "approximately 83% of the country residents consider themselves Russian Orthodox" (quoted from the link I posted earlier) you are proving the point the OP was trying to disprove? If so good work ;laugh:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Russia

"news flash dork"?

nice way to introduce yourself to the threads

and I believe we were talking about Russia so your post kinda makes no sense in context

I may agree with your sentiment but you're not doing that cause any favors by being rude. Here's a news flash for you, this site is International. Word of advice, it helps to read a thread before you start posting.

i do not try to prove or disprove i just supply facts as they come available

even if they are opposite of my own posts

knowledge will set you free

one can hope anyway

In that case you have my respect (whether you want it or not ). And I definitely agree.

knowledge will set you free just like a bra burning