Call for protests against Russian ‘gay propaganda’ bill
Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran. He is the…
The Russian LGBT Network today issued this call for international protests against the proposed national ban on “gay propaganda,” which has already been adopted by St. Petersburg and many other Russian regions.
Dear colleagues, friends, and allies!
On Tuesday, January 22d, the Russian State Duma will consider in the first reading the federal ban of the so-called “homosexual propaganda” – Article 6.13.1, which would violate fundamental human rights to freedom of assembly and expression, as well as the right to seek and distribute information.
The law puts at risk not only activities of human rights defenders, but also well-being and lives of LGBT people in general, who will be exposed to even greater violence and discrimination due to institutionalized stigmatization.
On Tuesday, activists of the Russian LGBT Network are holding actions in several Russian cities to protest against Article 6.13.1 and to respond to the negative labeling of LGBT by the legislators.
Please support our action and join the protest by holding a demonstration in front of the Russian mission in your city on January 22d. Information about your plans for the action, as well as photos and videos, will be much appreciated. Please send them to a.smirnova@lgbtnet.ru and maria.k@lgbtnet.ru.
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Fags doom nations. Jude 1:7. God hates fags and fag enablers. Leviticus 18:22. Romans 1:25-27,32.
Hi, Igor —
I’ll pass over your abusive language in order to get to a few points where I hope I can communicate with you seriously about how I think you’re misunderstanding the words you’re citing.
Jude 1:7 is about the punishment for those who, like Sodom and Gomorrah, give themselves over to “sexual immorality and perversion.” You believe that’s homosexuality, but the account in Genesis 19 makes clear that their sins are inhospitality and attempted rape. Rape surely counts as “sexual immorality and perversion.”
It’s true that Leviticus 18:22 is about male-male sex, which is described as “detestable,” or “an abomination” — one of many acts that are described that way in the Old Testament. Equally bad, in terms of the Israelites’ relationship with God, are eating with Egyptians, eating shellfish and accepting interest on a loan. Unless you are an Ultra-Orthodox Jew, those restrictions aren’t meant for you. They’re specific rules that applied to the specific people thousands of years ago when they who were in the midst of establishing their special relationship with Yahweh. Even if you take them to heart today, it’s inconsistent to scorn gay men for their love, but not scorn all bankers for charging interest. It’s hypocritical and hateful to scorn gay men for their love if you ever eat clam chowder.
I hope you’ll devote some thought and prayer not only to that issue, but even more so to the Letter to the Romans, which contains a direct warning to people who show “no love, no mercy.” (Romans 1:31) I must admit that your comments strike me as full of anger, without any love or mercy. In the verses about immorality that you cite, St. Paul is leading up to an observation in Romans 2:1 about people “who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself.” Ouch! I read that as meaning that those who say, “God hates fags and fag enablers,” are condemned by their own words. I pray for your sake that, like St. Paul, you will turn your focus onto yourself and will see your way to living and writing with a heart that’s without anger, full of love and mercy.
Blessings,
Colin Stewart