gays in Russia

[Simondi]

Live and let live

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Mark2000cc

Told ya lol.
I agree though, can't stand narrow minded people. Some countries are still in the dark ages.

Not quite the dark ages, think back to the 1950/60's in the UK.

[Captain Crappycrimp]

I am married to a Russian and travel there at least twice a year and have been doing so for the last 12 years.

The attitude of Russians to many things is a shock to "soft westerners" as they call us but Im glad Im soft, western and live in a democratic country. When I first introduced my wife to my Gay friends she was frightened to touch them in case she or I caught the disease, thankfully her attitude has changed and she now gets on with them fine.

In soviet times (not that long ago) and during the collapse of Russia in the early 1990's they were taught that Gays were deviants and homosexuality a disease (Gays were arrested and imprisoned and "treated") Jews were to blame for all bad things in the economy and secretly ruled the non soviet world, Muslims were religious nutcases who killed and ate female children and kidnapped white women to be sex slaves. I am not making any of that up I have seen the films, tv shows and read the papers about it, as well as living amongst my wife's family and friends and hearing about all these things first hand.

My wife and her family are kind and intelligent people but when you are taught things from birth it is very hard to change your way of thinking without an outside influance to challenge your beliefs and offer a different viewpoint, which I promise you I do.

During the years before Putin things were getting better in Russia despite the shock the whole society felt at the collapse of communism "western" ideas were beginning to take root and Russian society always very religious despite what the communist government tried to do was becoming more open and accepting of everyone not just the GLTG community.

Then Putin happened and he has spent his time in power stripping away freedoms and turning the country inwards, he stirs up racial hatredand fights wars (Muslims in Chetchnia and Dagastan) whips up nationalist feelings and preys on peoples fears. As the wars and nationalism have now lost there edge he is getting people to concentrate on the gay community to divert attention from how inept and corrupt his regime is. My last visit I read in the Moscow papers about male rape gangs prowling the streets and forcibly raping young men to convert them, I laughed at first and then realised the paper was serious.

I used to enjoy my trips to Russia but now I dread them, even my wife has admitted she no longer feels safe walking the streets of her own home town.

I pity the Russians and fear for the future of the country and how they will start acting towards the rest of the world. We are trying to convince my wife's family to come and live with us in England but they don't want to leave the farm!

Until that murderous lunatic and his regime are replaced things will not improve, and I don't se that happening any time soon.

[scorpio stu]

Thank you for explaining things a little deeper and from a different perspective. Thank you