Moscow mayor refuses gay Pride request

SUMMARY: The mayor of Moscow on Monday rejected a request from a gay group for permission to hold a gay Pride parade in the Russian capital, saying, "Homosexuality goes against [the] traditional moral values of most Russians," the Associated Press reported.

The mayor of Moscow on Monday rejected a request from a gay group for permission to hold a gay Pride parade in the Russian capital, saying, "Homosexuality goes against [the] traditional moral values of most Russians," the Associated Press reported.

Representatives of Mayor Yury Luzhkov said the mayor's office had received multiple requests for authorization for a Pride parade. The permit request that prompted Luzhkov to issue a statement of refusal sought a gay parade in conjunction with Moscow's annual City Day. Held the first weekend in September, the City Day festival marks the first mention of Moscow in historical records -- this year is the 854th anniversary -- and traditionally includes parades, performances and a street fair in the city center.

Luzhkov's statement said, "The city government will not allow this march in Moscow on City Day or any other day because such demonstrations outrage the majority of the capital's population, are in effect propaganda, and force upon society unacceptable norms of behavior," according to the AP report.

Sodomy was illegal during the Soviet era, but was decriminalized in 1993. Since then a discreet gay community has emerged in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but explicit gay activism is rare. Politically, gays are largely invisible in Russia, even in Moscow. Gay and lesbian political or cultural organizations remain quite rare and garner little active support.

However, despite a handful of highly publicized police raids on gay nightclubs in recent years -- including one on June 30 of this year -- Moscow enjoys a relatively open and vibrant gay nightlife scene, with several of the city's most famous nightclubs catering to gay customers.