Petrelis Files

US Reps to Putin: We Condemn Moscow Gay Bashing

I am not in the habit of sharing press releases from politicians on my blog, but this one from Barney is well worthing posting, in full.

What a great treat it is that as the USA begins the 4th of July weekend and celebration of America's founding, dozens of our congressmembers are signing their names to a statement standing up for gay rights and deploring the attacks on our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Moscow in May.

I offer heartfelt gratitude to Barney and his staff, not to mention the signatories, for speaking out about gay issues beyond America's borders.

Barney, thank you.

Barney Frank
Congressman, 4th District, Massachusetts
2252 Rayburn Building · Washington, D.C. 20515 · (202) 225-5931
www.house.gov/frank

For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel McGlinchey 202.225.3548
June 30, 2006

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. ROTHMAN
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. STENY H. HOYER
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