news release
from
BARNEY
FRANK
July 7, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dan McGlinchey 202.225.3548
Steven Adamske 202.225.7141
HOUSE
MEMBERS CONDEMN GAY BASHING IN RUSSIA
With Russian President Vladimir Putin about to step
onto the international stage as his country prepares to host the G-8 summit
in St. Petersburg next month, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members today
focused attention inside Russia as they condemned the recent anti-gay
violence that occurred during the country’s first gay pride festival in the
Russian capital.
Joining international criticism of the brutal attacks
against gay and lesbian marchers by skinheads and radical nationalists in
Moscow last month, 50 federal lawmakers today sent a letter to Putin
denouncing the violence and criticizing the actions of Moscow’s mayor, which
they believe helped stoke an atmosphere of hostility against gays.
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov officially cited the threat
of violence when denying the parade permit, but his subsequent public
statement that “such a parade is inadmissible in our country above all for
moral reasons,” as well as the deputy mayor’s description of gay festivals
as “propaganda of immorality,” revealed entrenched anti-gay animus. Some
religious leaders also led a pressure campaign against the march, with the
leader of Russia’s Muslims calling for a “violent mass protest,” adding that
“if they come out into the streets anyway, they should only be beaten up.”
In their letter to Putin, the U.S. lawmakers say, in
part, “We believe that the mayor's public statements and his banning of the
parade itself -- as well as the fact that provocative and violently anti-gay
statements by religious leaders and others went unrepudiated by elected
officials -- helped create a situation in which violence against gay and
lesbian people was in fact more likely to happen, if not inevitable.”
Calling violence against people based on sexual
orientation outrageous and unacceptable, the lawmakers urge Putin to
“publicly make clear this sentiment to those who would seek to do harm to
gay and lesbian individuals, to public officials and civil leaders who
provoke or inadequately respond to such violence, and to the gay and lesbian
citizens of Moscow and beyond who deserve to live, gather and associate
without fear of violence.”
Putin has always been silent on gay issues, and the
Kremlin has maintained its reticence even in the wake of the recent
attacks.
“It would be particularly appropriate,” added
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), “for President Putin to speak out against
these attacks and help prevent future abuses now that Russia holds the
chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers within the Council of Europe, a
body dedicated to defending human rights and promoting rule of law.”
The letter was organized by Cong. Frank, the senior
Democrat on the Committee on Financial Services, and was signed by a number
of leading House members on international affairs and human rights issues,
including Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the second ranking Democrat in the House; Tom
Lantos (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the International Relations Committee;
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Nita Lowey (D-NY), the chairman and ranking Democrat,
respectively, on the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign aid;
James Leach (R-IA), a senior Republican on the International Relations
Committee; and Chris Shays (R-CT) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), the chairman
and ranking member, respectively, of a subcommittee on National Security,
Emerging Threats, and International Relations.
A copy of the letter is
attached.
June 30, 2006
His Excellency Vladimir V. Putin
President of the Russian Federation
4 Staraya Square
Moscow 103132 Russia
Dear President Putin,
We write as members of the United States
Congress to express our dismay over the riots and violence against gay and
lesbian marchers in Moscow during a gay pride parade in late May.
It seems to us evident that any government of
the people would seek to protect all people, so we were very disappointed
that Moscow mayor Luzhkov claimed in denying the parade permit that he would
not be able to ensure the safety of the marchers.
We believe that the mayor's
public statements and his banning of the parade itself -- as well as the
fact that provocative and violently anti-gay statements by religious leaders
and others went unrepudiated by elected officials -- helped create a
situation in which violence against gay and lesbian people was in fact more
likely to happen, if not inevitable.
In
fact, given reports that some police stood by while gay and lesbian marchers
were attacked, it is difficult for us to believe that the police were unable
to protect the marchers, but instead were simply unwilling to do so.
We hope you agree that
violence against people based on sexual orientation -- people who are doing
no harm to anyone else - is outrageous and not acceptable. We urge you to
publicly make clear this sentiment to those who would seek to do harm to gay
and lesbian individuals, to public officials and civil leaders who provoke
or inadequately respond to such violence, and to the gay and lesbian
citizens of Moscow and beyond who deserve to live, gather and associate
without fear of violence.
REP. BARNEY FRANK
REP. SHERWOOD BOEHLERT
REP. STENY H. HOYER
REP. TOM LANTOS
REP. MICHAEL N. CASTLE
REP. JAMES A. LEACH
REP. NITA M. LOWEY
REP. GARY L. ACKERMAN
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS
REP. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
REP. JOSEPH CROWLEY
REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
REP. JAMES P. McGOVERN
REP. STEVEN R. ROTHMANR
REP. JERROLD NADLER
REP. LOIS CAPPS
REP. MICHAEL R. McNULTY
REP. DONALD M. PAYNE
REP. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
REP. RUBÉN HINOJOSA
REP. SAM FARR
REP. TAMMY BALDWIN
REP. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD
REP. RUSH D. HOLT
REP. LUIS V. GUTIERREZ
REP. MARTIN T. MEEHAN
REP. FRANK PALLONE, JR.
REP. EDOLPHUS TOWNS
REP. PETER A. DeFAZIO
REP. MICHAEL CAPUANO
REP. JIM KOLBE
REP. HOWARD L. BERMAN
REP. ROBERT WEXLER
REP. MAXINE WATERS
REP. EARL BLUMENAUER
REP. ELIOT L. ENGEL
REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
REP. RAÚL M. GRIJALVA
REP. MARY BONO
REP. CAROLYN McCARTHY
REP. JIM McDERMOTT
REP. SHERROD BROWN
REP. BARBARA LEE
REP. KENDRICK B. MEEK
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ
REP. GWEN MOORE
REP. ZOE LOFGREN
REP. JOHN W. OLVER
REP. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ
REP. WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT
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