Hello everyone just watched a documentary called hunted about how hard it is being gay in Russia with all the discrimination and attacks that happen to them. If you hadn't watched it this is how the situation is over there. There are "vigilante" groups who are dedicated to "protect" the younger generation from those who are lgbt and actually plan and coordinate attacks (a lot of the time the thugs who carry out these attacks are never brought to justice) . Also the homophobia is everywhere which included what looked like a sweet old lady saying gays should be squashed out. The situation is so bad that they say only 1% of the gay population dares live openly because of the fear of being attacked. To put the icing on the cake if you have children in Russia and you are discovered to be in a same sex relationship you risk your children been took off you and getting put into care. I have rarely felt so angry as I did when I was watching this crap but it's just a grim reminder that there are some places in the world that are still living in the dark ages! Sorry if I have put a downer on things but I had to find a place to let it out.
Hi, Does the UK have a news service like this; Gay USA?* Russia has been headlined for quite a while in Gay USA. I also saw a short on tough love reparative therapy. I have a friend who went through it. Enraging crap. Tom
I watch a lot of that stuff, and seem to be addicted to the ugly comments that always appear at the end of gay-themed news articles. I used to think it was some kind of masochistic sickness--soaking up the rage. But now I think I do it because I want to hold that hate up to the light, to remind myself that, as far as we've come, we still have a long way to go. That life for us will, for a long time to come, remain more dangerous than it should be.
Hey Tom, If you want to mix your rage with laughter, check out my friend Peterson Toscano's performance, "Doin' Time In The Homo No Mo' Halfway House" (Google it...the video is $15 well-spent). You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll rage. He's an outstanding performer, and a genuine survivor of the "ex-gay movement". Enjoy, -- Annika
The gay rights situation in Russia has been mentioned many times in mainstream news here. The BBC mentions it pretty much every time Sochi is mentioned, but being the BBC they just remain neutral and report on it (like the news should tbh). They're the ones broadcasting the Olympics. Meanwhile Channel 4 who are going to be broadcasting the Para-Olympics, and who are without doubt the second most watched tv channel in Britain behind the BBC (it owns many popular shows and tv channels, and even makes movies like Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Shaun of the Dead, Trainspotting, etc), have been making news segmants on gay rights in Russia for this past 2 weeks, have changed their logo to a rainbow coloured one starting today, and released a tv ad with a Russian 'bear' singing in support for althlete's in Sochi. So I don't know what it's like in the US, but the gay rights situation in Russia is heavily covered by the media here. Heck the government even contacted Ian McKellen and advised him not to go to Russia.
