Mr. Luzhkov seeks to put an end to condom's commercials in mass-media because he believes that "modern science has confirmed that condoms are not HIV safe anymore". His statement on condom ban made during the 2nd international scientific conference "HIV/AIDS in developed countries", has caused a rising tide of discontent among international scientific circles but only timid grumbles in Russia. Moreover, Mr.Luzhkov has accused gay people in spreading of HIV virus and promised to officially ban the gay propaganda in Russia. Moscow Mayor is a well-known figure in Russia due to his bold homophobic views.

He said that "so-called domestically cultivated democrats believed that sexual minorities were the major indicators and main symbols of democracy". "Further we will prohibit gay propaganda in Russia... No doubt we would be sharply criticised for it by almost every democrat around the world but every society, including the Russian, has a right on its own views on it...", RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.

We would remind you that since early 2000's Moscow Mayor has expressed his negative and even disdainful attitude towards gays, LGBT peoples' rights, universally recognized human rights and democratic values. In 2004 Moscow's Administration has closed a popular among gays nudist beach on Moscow River (Schyukinskiy peninsula) on the grounds of construction of a "high-brow" golf-club but it is an open secret that the main cause for that was to get rid of gays there. In Spring 2006 Human Rights Watch has enlisted Luzhkov to the "Hall of Shame" due to a number of anti-gay raids in Moscow in May 2005. This human rights international organization elaborated a Russian gay rights report on the eve of the International Fight against Homophobia Day. In 2007 Luzhkov named gays as "satanists" and accused them "in demolition of the State". National mass-media notes that Mr.Luzhkov "often takes these issues very close to his heart" and "uses gays as a bugaboo". In his recent speech Moscow Mayor equals LGBT people to Nazis...

Translated by Yerdna Bananes