スウェーデンの政治家有志が、モスクワ市長をゲイプライドに招待

Stockholm politicians invite Moscow's mayor to gay pride parade
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 31, 2007

STOCKHOLM, Sweden: A group of Swedish politicians have invited Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov to Stockholm's gay pride parade in August to experience "the power of love," a spokeswoman said Thursday.

In a letter to Luzhkov, the five members of the Stockholm City Council criticized his "homophobic statements" and urged him to lift a ban on gay pride processions in Moscow.

"It is enormously important that (Russia) moves in the right direction and respects human rights. Being homosexual belongs to those rights," said Liberal Party member Lotta Edholm, one of the co-signers.

On Sunday, Russian police detained gay rights activists, including at least two European lawmakers, as they tried to hold a demonstration in downtown Moscow while members of a hostile crowd punched the activists and pelted them with eggs. Earlier this year, Luzhkov vowed never to allow a gay rights parade, calling such events "satanic."

"Such homophobic statements from a person in your position risk deteriorating an already alarming situation for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in Russia," the five Stockholm politicians said in the letter sent Tuesday.

They invited Luzhkov to attend the gay pride parade in Stockholm on Aug. 4 "in order for you to see the power of love." Edholm said there had been no immediate reply from the mayor.



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