Russian parliament backs ban on "gay propaganda"

[Rockntractor]

Unless a person has their eyes closed they would notice that our rights are slowy being stripped from us, that is how it all starts.

She doesn't even know what the word hate means anymore, the libs had their way with her brain and she wasn't wearing any protection.

[ReinMan]

...We have freedom of religion, speech, ....

Except in schools, on city and county coats of arms, and anywhere else some atheist libtard wants to blame the pricks they feel to their meager conscience on everyone else but themselves.

... speech,

That progressives and liberals try to boycott out of existence when they don't agree with it.

... to sell our goods,

Not if the Hollywood 'elite' and the RIAA have anything to say about it.
Not our guns, if the current admin has anything to say about it.

... to own land.

If you're naive enough to think you actually own the land your house is on, stop paying property tax on it.
The government's response will disabuse you of that delusion.

Make no mistake; our freedoms are shrinking, not expanding.

And it's the delusional and diseased progressive worldview that's at the root of it...

[Odysseus]

Grow up some. I guess Canada, the UK, Israel, Germany, and Australia are also Russia. Funny thing is we're nowhere near what they are.

In some ways, we're further gone. Our ratio of spending to revenues is higher (we borrow far more of our budgets than they do), our debt dwarfs all of theirs combined, our tax rates are higher now and in many freedom indexes, we rate lower. For example, in economic freedom (http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking), Canada and Australia are ahead of us, believe it or not:

Rank Country Overall Score
1 Hong Kong 89.3
2 Singapore 88.0
3 Australia 82.6
4 New Zealand 81.4
5 Switzerland 81.0
6 Canada 79.4
7 Chile 79.0
8 Mauritius 76.9
9 Denmark 76.1
10 United States 76.0

In some areas, we are lagging significantly, such as corruption, monetary freedom, investment freedom, property protections and government spending (where increased spending makes us less free). It's an appalling state in which he have fallen.

And by the way, you're very insulting. To compare us to them is insulting to them.

People were murdered for being rich in Russia. Farmers died because the factory workers were considered to be superior. Religion was outlawed.

We have freedom of religion, speech, to sell our goods, to own land. A few changes that make you and others throw a temper tandrum like a two year old child doesn't change that. I guess I can expect that fit throwing for the next four years.

I'll be glad when this is all over so the country can look back and realize how childish this all was.


Not that I want Russia, but I'd love to live in a country where people didn't constantly hate on each other over politics.

Today, Democrats justify all manner of hatreds towards the rich. Farmers and factory workers are all endangered by a state that seeks control over the economy. Religion is currently being subordinated to the state, especially under Obamacare, and the open display of religious themes or icons is grounds for litigation. Our freedoms are under assault, by every possible measure, and while we are not where Russia was, we are moving in that direction. I hope, however, that decades from now we will be able to look back on this as a temporary setback, and not the beginning of our descent into the abyss.

[noonwitch]

Russia is Russia. They have no bill of rights.

I would guess that there are certain western entertainers who will boycott them. Madonna, Lady GaGa, etc. They will also likely pressure their peers to join the boycott-like Bruce/Bono/etc. did with Sun City in the 80s.

[Odysseus]

Russia is Russia. They have no bill of rights.

I would guess that there are certain western entertainers who will boycott them. Madonna, Lady GaGa, etc. They will also likely pressure their peers to join the boycott-like Bruce/Bono/etc. did with Sun City in the 80s.

They may not get the chance to boycott. The Russians have made it clear that they are not wanted:

---

November 22, 2012

Russian Judge Dismisses Suit Against Madonna

By ANDREW E. KRAMER

MOSCOW — A Russian judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit against Madonna for actions during a concert in St. Petersburg in August that antigay groups say violated a local law against propagandizing homosexual behavior.


That the case even went to trial, though, was a new step for the courts under President Vladimir V. Putin, coming months after a court in Moscow sentenced members of a Russian punk band, Pussy Riot, to prison terms for staging a performance in an Orthodox cathedral.


Madonna did not face jail time, but she could have had to pay significant damages: the antigay groups suing her sought $10.7 million. Her spokeswoman has had no comment about the case.


At issue was a municipal law passed this year in St. Petersburg prohibiting advocating homosexuality among children. Other Russian cities have since passed similar laws, and the Parliament is considering a national one.


Before her tour, Madonna had vowed to speak out against the law. And during the concert, she stripped down to lacy black lingerie, revealing the words “No Fear” written on her back.
But she did not, at least obviously, flout the law as an act of civil disobedience. Tickets were sold only to those 18 and older.


“I’m here to say that the gay community, and gay people, here and all around the world, have the same rights,” Madonna said in a short speech during a pause in the concert. “The same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love.”
Judge Vitaly Barkovsky dismissed the lawsuit after questioning the plaintiffs about the arbitrary nature of the case, given that so much other contemporary entertainment contains positive references to homosexuality.


A spokeswoman for one antigay group, the Union of Russian Citizens, said its lawyers would appeal, the news Web site Fontanka.ru reported.


Since 1993, when Russia repealed a Soviet-era law, being gay is not illegal, and after 1999, homosexuality was no longer classified as a mental disorder. But official intolerance is common. A former mayor of Moscow, Yuri M. Luzhkov, described attempts to hold a gay pride parade in the capital as “satanic.”


As the case was heard in St. Petersburg on Thursday, a member of Parliament from the Just Russia party said he had warned law enforcement officials about a concert by Lady Gaga, who will perform in St. Petersburg next month. He said that the concert should be limited to those older than 18, and that two songs should be excluded from the set: “Judas” and “Born This Way.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/wo...onna.html?_r=0



Fines and civil lawsuits that could run into the millions will keep them away. The interesting thing is that so many gay activists were sympathetic to the USSR, back when it had laws on the books against homosexuality.

[noonwitch]

They may not get the chance to boycott. The Russians have made it clear that they are not wanted:

---

November 22, 2012

Russian Judge Dismisses Suit Against Madonna

By ANDREW E. KRAMER

MOSCOW — A Russian judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit against Madonna for actions during a concert in St. Petersburg in August that antigay groups say violated a local law against propagandizing homosexual behavior.


That the case even went to trial, though, was a new step for the courts under President Vladimir V. Putin, coming months after a court in Moscow sentenced members of a Russian punk band, Pussy Riot, to prison terms for staging a performance in an Orthodox cathedral.


Madonna did not face jail time, but she could have had to pay significant damages: the antigay groups suing her sought $10.7 million. Her spokeswoman has had no comment about the case.


At issue was a municipal law passed this year in St. Petersburg prohibiting advocating homosexuality among children. Other Russian cities have since passed similar laws, and the Parliament is considering a national one.


Before her tour, Madonna had vowed to speak out against the law. And during the concert, she stripped down to lacy black lingerie, revealing the words “No Fear” written on her back.
But she did not, at least obviously, flout the law as an act of civil disobedience. Tickets were sold only to those 18 and older.


“I’m here to say that the gay community, and gay people, here and all around the world, have the same rights,” Madonna said in a short speech during a pause in the concert. “The same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love.”
Judge Vitaly Barkovsky dismissed the lawsuit after questioning the plaintiffs about the arbitrary nature of the case, given that so much other contemporary entertainment contains positive references to homosexuality.


A spokeswoman for one antigay group, the Union of Russian Citizens, said its lawyers would appeal, the news Web site Fontanka.ru reported.


Since 1993, when Russia repealed a Soviet-era law, being gay is not illegal, and after 1999, homosexuality was no longer classified as a mental disorder. But official intolerance is common. A former mayor of Moscow, Yuri M. Luzhkov, described attempts to hold a gay pride parade in the capital as “satanic.”


As the case was heard in St. Petersburg on Thursday, a member of Parliament from the Just Russia party said he had warned law enforcement officials about a concert by Lady Gaga, who will perform in St. Petersburg next month. He said that the concert should be limited to those older than 18, and that two songs should be excluded from the set: “Judas” and “Born This Way.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/wo...onna.html?_r=0



Fines and civil lawsuits that could run into the millions will keep them away. The interesting thing is that so many gay activists were sympathetic to the USSR, back when it had laws on the books against homosexuality.

The Russians never would have seen a dime of a fine imposed on Madonna.
Madonna and Lady Gaga might be openly pro-gay, in concert and in person. There are a lot of performers who don't go that far, but would be willing to boycott Russia out of sympathy for the cause, overall. Liberals like Bruce Springsteen, U2, and other big acts.

The EU is also not going to go along with this policy. I know Putin could care less, but just remember, he's former KGB-he does what he thinks will keep him in power at any cost.