Petrelis Files

Moscow Gays Protest at Iranian Embassy for LGBT Rights

Our gay brothers and sisters in Moscow today staged their vigil for LGBT Iranians and have sent along this report and photos. For more info on the Gay Russian organization, click here. Thank you, LGBT Russians, for your solidarity action today!

Moscow LGBT activists protested today against persecution of Iranian gays

This is the second year that gays and lesbians rally in front of Iranian embassy in Moscow.

About two dozens of LGBT and political activists demonstrated in front of Iranian embassy in Moscow. They protested against execution and discrimination of gay people in Iran.

The rally was organized and supported by Russian leading gay rights advocacy group 'Project GayRussia.Ru' and joined by 'LGBT Rights', 'Free Radicals Libertarian Movement' and activists of 'Transnational Radical Party'.

Traditionnal Human Rights organizations ignored the protest and did not join.

Demonstrators held slogans in support of human and gay rights. They also unveiled rainbow flags.

Slogans of the rally were: “Iran! Maintain human rights!”, “Iran! Hands off gays!”, “No death penalty!”.

Last year LGBT and political activists also rallied on July 19 against execution of gay people in Iran while several extremists attempted to assault the demonstrators.

This year the situation in front of Iranian embassy was very calm. Just in the end of manifestation appeared a group of nationalists and religious believers. They were stopped by the police and dismissed.

One of Moscow Pride organizers and participant of the rally Nikolai Baev said that this year during the rally happened nothing dangerous for LGBT activists.

“It seems that even homophobic activists start to understand that gays and lesbians may rally and protest in Moscow absolutely free, and walk on streets with their flags and slogans”, said Baev. “This is also a clear result of our policy that we started with Gay Pride movement in Russia.”

However the rally was authorized by Moscow authorities only after activists did not mention about “gay rights” in their application.