"Side-by-Side" LGBT Movie Festival Launched in Moscow Despite Orthodox Gonfaloniers' Protests
International LGBT human rights movie festival started in MoscowThe "Side-by-Side" International LGBT human rights movie festival started in Moscow yesterday despite the protest of Orthodox extremists, reports Ridus.ru. The festival's opening ceremony went off in a friendly and pathetic atmosphere.
"We've been invited to visit Moscow since long time ago. According to the big number of visitors - there is a strong need among Russian people to watch movies together, discuss and talk about vitally important issues of LGBT people", believes Manny de Guer, the creator of the LGBT movie festival. "The event has just started and we invite Muscovites to join further shows and discussions that are planned until Sunday evening".
The representatives of "Orthodox Gonfaloniers' Union", "Corporation of Orthodox Activity" and "Orthodox Brotherhood Union" held a number of single pickets in front of "Fitil" cinema few hours ahead of the festival's opening. The local police were on duty there and, according to the LGBT event's organizers, the police will be on duty throughout the festival's work. Several hundreds of people were invited to the show.
Orthodox homophobes chanted "Perverts, get out of Russia!", "No Sodom!". In response LGBT activists tried to hand over to the Orthodox protesters the LGBT symbols. "Believers had to move these gift makers aside roughly", said Yury Agescev, a coordinator of the Orthodox Brotherhood Union.
Soon it started raining and protesters had to leave. LGBT activists went into the cinema hall to participate in the pathetic opening ceremony of the "Side by Side" LGBT Movie festival.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
International LGBT human rights movie festival started in Moscow
"We've been invited to visit Moscow since long time ago. According to the big number of visitors - there is a strong need among Russian people to watch movies together, discuss and talk about vitally important issues of LGBT people", believes Manny de Guer, the creator of the LGBT movie festival. "The event has just started and we invite Muscovites to join further shows and discussions that are planned until Sunday evening".
The representatives of "Orthodox Gonfaloniers' Union", "Corporation of Orthodox Activity" and "Orthodox Brotherhood Union" held a number of single pickets in front of "Fitil" cinema few hours ahead of the festival's opening. The local police were on duty there and, according to the LGBT event's organizers, the police will be on duty throughout the festival's work. Several hundreds of people were invited to the show.
Orthodox homophobes chanted "Perverts, get out of Russia!", "No Sodom!". In response LGBT activists tried to hand over to the Orthodox protesters the LGBT symbols. "Believers had to move these gift makers aside roughly", said Yury Agescev, a coordinator of the Orthodox Brotherhood Union.
Soon it started raining and protesters had to leave. LGBT activists went into the cinema hall to participate in the pathetic opening ceremony of the "Side by Side" LGBT Movie festival.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
