LGBT Rights
and the
Twinning of
Manchester & St. Petersburg
Current LGBT issue's in Britain and Russia
Britain
When it was announced by the British government in July 2013, that same sex marriage is to be legalised from 29th March 2014, the last barrier against LGBT equality seems to have been removed. This legislation was not without controversy; and has been the subject of intense debate amongst politicians, religious organisations, the media, and the general public.
Religion
The strongest case against same sex marriage has come from religious institutions. Their argument is that allowing same sex marriage will undermine the status of marriage as a religious ceremony. Due to this opposition, individual churches in Britain will have the choice of whether to conduct same sex marriages.
Media
The same sex marriage debate received a mixed reception within the media. In the press, the left-wing newspapers such as; The Guardian and The Independent are in favour of the legislation. Whereas the right-wing paper's such as; The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph are opposed. Within television there is, and has been for a long time, a representation of LGBT people, whether it is in soaps, sitcoms, lifestyle, reality or chat show programmes. However, since controversy erupted over Russia's anti-LGBT propaganda law, there has been an emergence of documentaries aimed at LGBT rights, such as; Stephen Fry's 'Out There' and Dr Christian Jessen's controversial documentary 'Cure me, I'm gay'.
Politics
Politics is and continues to be influenced by the Church of England, which is perhaps why it has taken until 2013-14 to legalise same sex marriage. The majority of MP's supported the new legislation, however there was strong opposition to the bill from many conservative minded politicians; from within the Commons and from right-wing extremist parties.
The Public
Public opinion over same sex marriage has been divided, with people being religiously or politically swayed. However, since 2004, opinion polls suggest that the majority of people are in support of the legislation. A YouGov survey from June 2012, showed that 71% of people were in favour of same sex marriage. And another survey from May 2013, showed that 54% of people were in favour.
Russia
Compared to the current LGBT situation in Russia, Britain's issue look's tame (yet no less significant). The introduction of the 'anti-LGBT propaganda law' in June 2013, sparked controversy and invoked international criticism. Whilst Russia is not committing severe human rights abuses and criminalising homosexuality like some countries, It is a modern country; therefore its recent actions are seen as taking a backwards step towards LGBT equality. Despite not actually being a crime, LGBT people in Russia are being treated as if they are criminals; with many people being the victims of persecution. This law and the persecution LGBT people are facing demonstrates the current negative attitude towards them. Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, so why 21 years later have the decided to introduce this new law, which almost mirrors the law introduced by Britain in 1987?
Religion
Under communist rule, religion in Russia almost faced extinction, but they are now back in the public eye and have a large role in influencing politics. As well as having a close relationship with the Kremlin, the Russian Orthodox Church has officially denounced homosexuality as a crime and a sin. The Head of the Church, Kirill, has stated that homosexuality is an apocalyptic symptom. Orthodox Church activists have also been guilty of attacks on gay-rights activists.
Public opinion
In June 2013 a survey conducted by the All-Russian Centre for the Study of Public Opinion published that 90% of Russians surveyed were in favour of the anti-gay propaganda law. Another survey also found that 74% of people said that homosexuality was not acceptable. A survey by the Levada Centre in 2013 found that 87% did not want gay pride parades to take place in their cities, 27% thought homosexuals needed psychological help, 16% thought LGBT people should be isolated from society and 5% thought they should be liquidated. 50% said that they also felt "irritation and disgust" towards LGBT people, and in some cases people felt that homosexuals and paedophiles were one of the same. Although these surveys do not cover the entire population, we can see that the majority of those surveyed are against homosexuality, and whilst other figures of extreme measures are smaller they still exist within Russian society. Despite there being a majority in favour of the new law, it is not completely all-embracing, and the larger cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg are known for having thriving LGBT communities.
Politics
In June 2013, the Russian parliament (the Duma) passed a national law, which was signed by President Vladimir Putin that banned the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors. Under the new law it is illegal to hold gay pride events, speak in defence of gay rights or say that homosexual relationships are equal to heterosexual. If found guilty, Russian citizens can face fines of up to 5,000 rubles (£85) and public officials to fines of up to 50,000 rubles (£850). Vladimir Putin, who in statements has likened homosexuality to paedophila, has described the law as protecting children and believes that it was influenced by Russian public opinion.
The Police and anti-gay activists
LGBT people have been the victims of hate crimes and persecution in Russia prior to the new law. However, since the new law was introduced, Russia has seen an increase in violence, with many using the new legislation as justification for their actions. This violence has come from different sections of society, from conservative groups such as the Orthodox Church supporters to the far-right neo-Nazi groups who seem to be committing the most violent acts. Evidence of this violence has been given from witness and victim testimonies, photographs, and most effectively video footage. A number of videos posted to websites like YouTube show the most violent acts against LGBT protesters and individual people. Abusive acts range from verbal abuse, throwing of objects such as stones and eggs, physical violence, public humiliation, and in some circumstances; torture and murder. Among some of the most horrifying videos online are ones filmed by the attackers themselves who have loured homosexual men to a location under false pretences and proceeded to humiliate, torture and beat them. As well as this persecution, the police in Russia seem to be doing little to stop it. Clashes between rival protesters have ended with arrests on both sides, but it is the individual acts which go ignored. A Channel 4 documentary called 'Hunted' was released just before the Sochi winter Olympics. It showed the persecution against LGBT people and how the government and police by allowing it to happen are legitimizing these vigilante groups.