“Stephen Fry has called on athletes … to make a symbol at the Games to display their objection to new anti-gay laws.”
By Cathy Kristofferson, August 10, 2013
Today’s “UK Supports LGBT Russia” protest in London against Russia’s anti-gay laws and rising homophobia drew an early estimate of 1,100 attending the over 3 hour event. The protest, originally set for the Russian embassy, was moved earlier in the week to handle the expected capacity as demand increased. London’s Whitehall, the center of British government, became the protest site conveniently located around the corner from Prime Minister David Cameron’s residence at 10 Downing Street.
In pure British fashion, the protests were described as “dignified and unified” and “overly gentlemanly” by Twitter and Facebook attendees.
Protest signs had slogans such as “Love Russia, Hate Homophobia”, “Equal rights for LGBT Russians. NOW” and “Love is a Human Right.”
The protest attracted well known out gay activists like Stephen Fry and Peter Tatchell. Tachell had written on his website “Putin is the ‘Czar of Homophobia’,” before heading down to the protest.
The BBC is reporting that at the protest Fry called on athletes at Sochi to show solidarity with Russian LGBTs:
“Stephen Fry has called on athletes competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia to make a symbol at the Games to display their objection to new anti-gay laws.
The broadcaster accepted that it was unlikely that the Games would be boycotted or moved from Russia, but hoped athlete protests would show solidarity with campaigners and “take the sweetness of victory out of Putin’s mouth”.”
The protest has now ended. We will update the pics and vidoes below as they come in.
PUBLISHERS NOTE:
Melanie Nathan Last week a handful of us in San Francisco managed to get a press conference on the streets of San Francisco, outside City Hall. we had the local evening TV News, Press in Australia, China and USA all responde with articles about the issue of vodka boycotts. And we did it with a few of us – no budget- pro bono- hours of our own time- sending each other emails over the period of a few days. WHERE are the Big talkers and the big moneymakers? The GWM’s who take over national TV for their few seconds of pretending they are leaders? Or does their leadership only apply to US marriage centric issues. HRC should be organizing a massive street protest in DC at Consuls, with the 83 REPS who signed the Bipartisan letter there! HRC should contact the Task Force and Immigration equality and they should put something together. WAKE UP America!!!!
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Pics from the protest:
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More Russia OBLOGDEE coverage here:
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This is so important!!! LGBT rights should be everywhere …. he does look like a modern Hitler.
Reblog: http://hrexach.wordpress.com/
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
STAND UP FOR LGBT RIGHTS WORLDWIDE!!! We all are one!!!
“Loads” of human rights activists will be in D.C. for the 50th March on Washington in two Saturdays (8/24). Imagine how many of us could gather at the Russian Embassy to express U.S. outrage…let’s make it HUGE!