Gay Prides Held Marked by Joy, Sadness, and Protest

Gay Pride happened over the weekend in Riga, Latvia, and thanks to a strong police presence was relatively violence-free despite a large swarm of angry protesters. Watch an informative video from Amnesty, International AFTER THE JUMP...

Last year's pride in Riga was less violent than the two before it, with marchers parading around an enclosed park watched over by a heavily police presence. In 2006 and 2005, things were a bit different.

Asbury Park, New Jersey held its Pride festival and inaugural 14-mile Ride with Pride bike ride.

Pride was also held in New Paltz, New York, and in the New York City borough of Queens. Flickr user Courtenay Redis writes, of the photo below: "Local politicians, community activiists and other supporters greet Leonor and Armando Garzon. Their gay son, Edgar Garzon, was beaten to death on this block of 37th Avenue in August 2001 in what is considered a hate crime, march in the 16th Annual Queens LGBT Pride Parade & Multi-Cultural Festival in Jackson Heights, Queens on June 1, 2008."

(image via flickr user courtenay redis)

Watch the Riga, Latvia clip AFTER THE JUMP...

Riga Pride 2008
Uploaded by AmnestyInternational

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Gay Rights Rally in Latvia Held with Massive Police Presence

Just days after a gay rights rally in Moscow was shattered by violence, a similar rally of about 400 brave activists took place in Riga, Latvia over the weekend.

They too were threatened by anti-gay protestors, but a huge police presence guarded them as they marched around an enclosed park. Taunts were shouted, according to the Associated Press, but thanks to the extra-security the march was spared violence:

"Latvian police took no chances this year, and Interior Minister Ivars Godmanis even stood on a balcony overlooking the park so that he could orchestrate the hundreds of troops providing security below...Eight European lawmakers from various countries and two members of the European Parliament attended the gay-rights festivities in the Baltic state as a show of solidarity."

Last year's gay rights march, which took place in July, was the target of Christian fundamentalist, neo-Nazis, and ultra-nationalists, who threw eggs, excrement, and rotten fruit. The year before saw violence as well.

This year, a hateful counter-demonstration was being held that dwarfed those assembled in support of gay rights: "...an alternative anti-gay concert — dubbed 'The World Against Homosexuality' — was held about 1.5 kilometers (a mile) away on the riverfront and attracted several thousand supporters. Many participants wore T-shirts and carried balloons decrying 'homosexual propaganda.'"

I wonder if pastor Ken Hutcherson made a return visit to incite the hateful?

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FBI Complaint Filed Over Pastor Ken Hutcherson's Latvia Claims

A bit of an update on the Ken Hutcherson story that sprang up yesterday.

Gay Seattle attorney Dave Coffman has filed a complaint with the FBI, asking them to investigate whether or not anti-gay pastor Hutcherson violated federal law by claiming to be a White House "special envoy" on a recent trip to Latvia.

Hutcherson claims that the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Jay Hein appointed him a "special envoy" for the Latvia trip, where he appeared with Scott Lively, an anti-gay religious right 'Holocaust revisionist' who claims that homosexuals were the cause of the Holocaust, was sanctioned by the White House. The trip was the centerepiece of a four-day anti-gay "crisis conference" there.

According to Eli Sanders of Seattle paper The Stranger, who spoke to an agent at the FBI, the agency does investigate claims that someone is allegedly representing themselves as speaking for the White House:

I just spoke with Special Agent Fred Gutt of the Seattle FBI office. He said his office doesn’t comment on complaints unless they result in criminal charges. However, he spoke with me about section 912 of the federal criminal code:

“There are various federal laws regarding false impersonations that we do investigate, 912 being one of them,” Gutt told me. “That certainly would fall under our purview… This statute, if someone decided to represent themselves as a representative of the White House, could be pertinent.”

The Stranger also has an audio clip which Ivan Boryagin, a member of the Latvian church that Hutcherson was visiting, says is Hutcherson speaking on behalf of the United States. Hutcherson continues to claim that there is video proof that he was sent by the White House.

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Anti-Gay Pastor Claims White House Appointed Him 'Special Envoy' [tr]

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Anti-Gay Pastor Claims White House Appointed Him 'Special Envoy'

You may remember religious-right homophobe Ken Hutcherson from an incident in 2005 where Microsoft secretly withdrew its support from a pending gay rights bill in Washington state because of alleged pressure from Hutcherson, who threatened a religious-right boycott of the company should they have thrown their support behind it. Microsoft ended up cutting ties with the extremist.

Well, Hutcherson is back in the news. This time, according to the Seattle paper The Stranger, he's claiming that the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Jay Hein appointed him a "Special Envoy" and that a recent trip to Latvia, where he appeared with Scott Lively, an anti-gay religious right 'Holocaust revisionist' who claims that homosexuals were the cause of the Holocaust, was sanctioned by the White House.

Lively is co-author of The Pink Swastika- Homosexuality in the Nazi Party, a book which, according to uk.gay.com, claims that "homosexuality is primarily a predatory addiction striving to take the weak and unsuspecting down with it."

They report on the Lively-Hutcherson trip, which apparently was the centerpiece of a 4-day anti-gay crisis conference there. Said Lively: "I have studied homosexual movement now for 17 years and with all responsibility state that currently Latvia a zone of intense confrontation between Christians and homosexuals. This nation will be our main battlefield against this counter Christian culture. God gave Kenneth Hutcherson and me to see that Alexei [Ladyaev, pastor of Latvia’s New Generation Church] is the very man God placed to direct this battle, and church should support him in all respects. We are going to help you consistently and effectively to fight those who violate Christ’s rights and target his ministers for their insults."

The Stranger reports that Hutcherson was also there to complain to the U.S. Embassy "about its alleged monetary support for gay rights groups."

After calls to the White House by The Stranger, a spokeswoman denied any connection with Hutcherson. However, Hutcherson claims the White House is lying and tells the paper to find Hein, who met with him at the White House and in Seattle. Hutcherson claims there is a video of Hein, Hutcherson, and Ladyaev on the White House lawn talking to a Latvian news reporter.

Said Hutcherson: "I’m gonna prove that I had those meetings, I’m gonna prove that I got that title behind me, and I’m gonna show you the video that says I was coming to Latvia and the purpose why."

What does this all mean? Well, if Hutcherson is lying it could possibly be a federal crime, and if the White House gave its seal of approval to an anti-gay homophobe to travel the world with a Holocaust revisionist - well, we'll see.

Last year, in July, violence broke out in the notoriously homophobic nation after a gay pride parade was banned by the government. A gay rights rally did take place and participants were pelted with eggs, excrement, and rotten fruit by Christian fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, and ultra-nationalists as they entered and exited the meeting at the Reval hotel.

In 2005, a participant in the pride parade, which was banned by the government, but allowed to proceed by a court at the last minute, described a similar scene: "There were so many attacks, people were throwing eggs, people were using gaz [sic], they were trying to block the march. It was extremely, extremely homophobic. I don’t think anybody in Europe saw anything like that."

Latvia has been a hotbed of anti-gay extremism, although just recently the new mayor of Riga Janis Birks called for tolerance and said he'll back a gay rights march later this year.

UPDATE: White House Contradicts Local Pastor Ken Hutcherson on His Claim that He Is a U.S. “Special Envoy”; Hutcherson, in Response, Says He Will Provide Video Proof [the stranger via americablog]
US homophobes support Latvia's hate campaign [uk gay.com]

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London Mayor Condemns Violence Against Gays

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has condemned Estonian leaders for failing to protect gays and lesbians during the recent violence that occurred at a Gay Pride parade there earlier this month:

"The failure of the police and political authorities in Tallinn to protect lesbian and gay citizens from violence during this year's peaceful Gay Pride parade is inexcusable. Having permitted the parade, and being aware of the potential for violence, Tallinn City Council and the city's police should have taken all reasonable steps to robustly defend the fundamental human rights of those taking part. I also deplore the violence at Gay Pride events this year in Latvia, Poland, Russia, Moldova and Romania and the encouragement given to right wing extremists by religious and political leaders. I strongly endorse the European Parliament resolution of 18 January 2006 that lesbian and gay people should be protected from homophobic hate speech and violence and treated with 'respect, dignity and protection.'"

Although we're of course not part of the EU, it's a shame that American officials rarely make this kind of gesture, or exhibit an awareness of hate and prejudice occurring places other than their own backyards. Or sometimes even in their own backyards for that matter.

Mayor of London hits out at Gay Pride violence [24dash]

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A court in Riga today will hear cases against six anti-gay protestors who disrupted gay rights events over the weekend of July 22 by throwing eggs, excrement, and rotten fruit, and trailing participants in vehicles while verbally assaulting them.

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Belarus Broadcasts Gay Porn Over State TV

A hidden camera in the home of a Latvian diplomat under investigation for disseminating porn in Belarus revealed gay porn to be among the official's inventory.

This discovery should not sit well for authorities in Belarus where porn is illegal, or the diplomat's home country, where violence surrounding a gay rights march resulted in state sympathy for not the gays, but the police.

However, the footage of two men having sex, which Belarus quickly took the opportunity to broadcast over the state TV network, made for the most exciting afternoon at the old folks' home in years.

Belarus State TV Broadcasts Diplomat’s Homosexual Sex Tape [mosnews]

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Anti-gay Violence Erupts in Latvia

The Latvia gay pride march was banned by Latvian authorities over the weekend on "security grounds" based on threats of violence if the march took place, yet that didn't stop Christian fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, and ultra-nationalists from trailing gays and lesbians elsewhere in the city.

At several events scheduled to take place in Riga—a Pride rally at the Reval Hotel, a press conference, and a church service—participants were pelted with eggs, excrement, and rotten fruit as they arrived and departed, with thugs trailing them in vehicles.

The picture was much the same last year, when the parade actually did take place, and one participant painted a vivid picture: "There were so many attacks, people were throwing eggs, people were using gaz [sic], they were trying to block the march. It was extremely, extremely homophobic. I don’t think anybody in Europe saw anything like that."

Pictured here are this year's anti-gay protestors outside the Reval Hotel. As pretty on the outside as they are on the inside.

UK activist Peter Tatchell witnessed the events first-hand: "The Riga Pride rally in the Reval Hotel was under siege all day by protesters from the anti-gay “No Pride” movement – a highly organised alliance of Christian fundamentalists, ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazis. They roamed the streets outside the hotel, looking for gays and lesbians to attack. Anyone who looked gay was liable to abuse and assault, even passing tourists. The police seemed to stand back and let them to terrorise people with impunity."

Latvian authorities have been criticized across the board. According to Pink News, city authorities called the gay pride march "the ‘biggest security risk’ to the country since Latvia won its independence from the Soviet Union." They claim they do not have the capability to handle the security threats, yet other high-profile events in the city tell a different story:

"This explanation does not stand up. Latvia was able to guarantee security for President Bush’s visit. It is guaranteeing security for the Queen’s forthcoming state visit and for the NATO summit later this year. If Latvia can provide security for these high-risk events, then it is nonsense to suggest the police cannot protect 200 gay pride marchers."

According to the Baltic Times, a total of 14 people have been arrested in connection with the violence that took place over the weekend. Criminal charges are being sought against one of those arrested, while 13 others will face administrative charges.

Gay and lesbian organizations are planning to take their fight against Riga City Council to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. They certainly aren't receiving any help from the Latvian government: "The interior minister said he was concerned that the police received the strongest criticism after the anti-gay incidents. In his opinion, officers did a good job."

Latvia Fails Democracy Test After Gay Rights Violence [pink news]
Gay bashers arrested after parade attack [baltic times]

Our coverage of last year's event...
"I am safe. I am at home now." [tr]

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“I am safe, I am at home now.”

A pride parade in Latvia which had been banned by the government and then allowed to proceed by a Latvian court at the last minute took place over the weekend. The anti-gay activity was "hysteric" according to one participant interviewed by UK Gay News: "There were so many attacks, people were throwing eggs, people were using gaz [sic], they were trying to block the march. It was extremely, extremely homophobic. I don’t think anybody in Europe saw anything like that."

Juris Lavrikovs describes a parade of 100 to 150 people met with force by protestors throwing eggs, some dressed in Nazi uniforms. According to Lavrikovs the police did a good job of protecting the participants and there were many arrests. Lavrikovs cites strong nationalist feeling and last week's homophobic statements by the government as cause for the violence at the parade.

Lavrikovs describes any unification of the Latvian gay community in his country as "extremely undeveloped.": "I would say that Latvia does not have a developed gay community or a group that would represent its interests. You cant compare to such countries as Czech Republic or even Poland."

This year Bucharest, Romania and Poland also saw protests surrounding Pride events while Spain saw massive protests in reaction to that country's stance on gay marriage and adoption.

Riga Pride: “A Sad, Sad Day. Society Is Sick” [uk gay news]
Protests Disrupt Latvia Pride [bbc]

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