Moscow Bans Gay Pride March, Religious Threaten Violence
by Doug Ireland

Moscow's authoritarian mayor, Yuri Lushkov -- declaring that homosexuality is "an unnatural act" -- has banned Moscow's first-ever Gay Pride March, and the gay festival and conference that was to coincide with it. Lushkov has said the Pride activities will be "severely repressed," while some religious leaders have called for the use of violence to prevent the march. The official ban has created outrage in Europe's gay community, and demonstrations in front of Russian embassies and consulates have been organized for today, March 2, right across the Continent by European gay groups -- yet U.S. gay organizations have remained silent on the ban on Moscow Gay Pride, and no demonstrations against the ban have been organized here.