Moscow Pride

Moscow Pride is an annual LGBT rights event held in Moscow, Russia, which has been organized by Nikolai Alekseev and the Russian LGBT Network since 2006, with support from ILGA-Europe and Amnesty International. The event has been met with opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Putin, and other conservative groups, including the LDPR and United Russia. Despite the challenges, Moscow Pride has received support from Human Rights Watch, EU officials, and LGBT rights activists such as Peter Tatchell and Louis-Georges Tin.

● History of

Moscow Pride The first Moscow Pride event was held in 2006, with approximately 100 participants, including Nikolai Alekseev, Volker Beck, and Marco Cappato, and was met with violent counter-protests from Nashists and other far-right groups, such as the DPNI. In subsequent years, the event has been banned by the Moscow City Council, led by Yuri Luzhkov, and participants have faced arrest and harassment from police, including OMON and Spetsnaz. Despite these challenges, Nikolai Alekseev and other organizers have continued to push for the right to hold the event, citing the ECHR and the Russian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, as protected by the UN and the Council of Europe.

● Organization and Participants

The Moscow Pride event is organized by a coalition of LGBT rights groups, including the Russian LGBT Network, GayRussia, and ILGA-Europe, with support from international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the IGLHRC. Participants have included LGBT rights activists from around the world, such as Peter Tatchell, Louis-Georges Tin, and Scott Long, as well as Russian activists like Nikolai Alekseev, Yaroslav Yevtushenko, and Anastasia Smirnova. The event has also been supported by EU officials, including Věra Jourová and Federica Mogherini, and by US officials, such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who have spoken out in support of LGBT rights in Russia and around the world, citing the UDHR and the ICCPR.

● Controversies and Bans

The Moscow Pride event has been the subject of controversy and bans, with the Moscow City Council citing concerns about public order and morality, as well as opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church and other conservative groups, including the LDPR and United Russia. In 2012, the Moscow City Court banned the event for 100 years, citing a Russian law that prohibits pride parades and other LGBT rights events, which has been criticized by the ECHR and the UN. Despite these bans, organizers have continued to hold the event, often in secret locations, and have faced arrest and harassment from police, including OMON and Spetsnaz, as well as from Nashists and other far-right groups.

● Human Rights Context

The Moscow Pride event takes place in a context of ongoing human rights concerns in Russia, including the persecution of LGBT individuals and the restriction of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, as documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the UN. The event has been supported by international Human rights organizations, including the ECHR and the UN, which have criticized Russia's LGBT rights record and called for greater protections for LGBT rights in the country, citing the UDHR and the ICCPR. The event has also been supported by EU officials, including Věra Jourová and Federica Mogherini, who have spoken out in support of LGBT rights in Russia and around the world.

● International Response and Support

The Moscow Pride event has received international support and attention, with LGBT rights activists and organizations around the world speaking out in support of the event and condemning the Russian government's LGBT rights record, including Peter Tatchell, Louis-Georges Tin, and Scott Long. The event has also been supported by EU officials, including Věra Jourová and Federica Mogherini, and by US officials, such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who have spoken out in support of LGBT rights in Russia and around the world, citing the UDHR and the ICCPR. The event has been recognized by the ILGA-Europe and the EPOA as an important symbol of LGBT rights activism in Russia and around the world, and has been supported by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN.

Category:LGBT events