General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)I thought DU was pro gay rights??? (Genuinely hurt) [View all]
This is not a post about Syria.
I had thought that there was no more site tolerant of and supportive of your LGBT sisters and brothers on the Internet than DU. However, over the past 3 weeks, I have seen posts like "Hey Earl G...can we have a Putin avatar?" Do you have any idea how hurtful posts like that (and the elevation of Vladimir Putin to folk hero status here on DU) are to some of your LGBT sisters and brothers. It shows no respect or caring for the brutal crackdown that the LGBT community is going through in Russia in actions sanctioned by Putin. Maybe many of you are unaware of the Gay crackdown going on in Russia? I can only see ignorance and misunderstanding of how gays are treated in Russia as being a reason why Putin is so embraced here on DU.
Earlier this week Mr. Putin denied the law's anti-gay nature. "We are talking about protecting children from the respective information," he said.
"We ask that (other countries) do not interfere in our regulation," he added.
Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev called the law a "historical mistake" that will be appealed in the European Court of Human Rights.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10151790/Vladimir-Putin-signs-anti-gay-propaganda-bill.html
"History will prove that (Putin) made a mistake that the future generations are unlikely to forgive," he said in a statement published on Gayrussia.ru.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/58649/russia-s-anti-gay-law-spelled-out-in-plain-english
The cornerstone of Mr. Putins War on Gays, however, is the vaguely defined and definitively antigay Article 6.21 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, which allows the government to fine individuals accused of the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations amongst minors. The federal ban builds on the success of regional laws on propaganda of homosexualism to minors, passed in 10 regions since 2006. We have yet to see an example of the federal law in action, though we came pretty close when four Dutch citizens were briefly detained in the northern city of Murmansk in July. Regional laws were used several times to fine gay rights activists.
And this:
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/nancy-pelosi-does-putin-consider-gays-and-lesbians-in-russia-to-be-god%E2%80%99s-children-as-well/
What I found interesting was the closing, Pelosi said. He says when we pray to God he judges as allI dont know exactly was he saysbut he says that we are all Gods children. I think thats great. I hope it applies to gays and lesbians in Russia as well.
Read those entire 3 articles please and then re-consider your views on Vladimir Putin. DU seems unaware of the above.
So....a President that has done more for gay rights than any U.S. president in history from benefit coverage to federal employees, to repeal of DADT, to not enforcing DOMA, to supporting same sex marriage to arguing against Prop 8 and DOMA at the Supreme Court and whose 2 justice appointments were critical in getting these 2 acts overturned, is much maligned on DU while a person who does not subscribe to the human values that I thought most of us here on DU did subscribe to (that's why I've been here as a lurker and poster for 6 years now!) is elevated to folk hero status.
If DU doesn't even stand up for the LGBT community, than who does? Who will?
Once again, I could give 2 shits about Syria right now. P.S.: To avoid accusations of being a troll with this post, I'll come out. I'm a bisexual-lean gay man myself so I have a personal interest in this issue.