Homophobic Moscow Mayor blames gays for spread of AIDS, bans "gay propaganda"
Thu. December 4, 2008 12:00 AM by Kevin Wayne
Moscow -
The Mayor of Moscow has pledged to continue to ban what he calls "gay propaganda."
Speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference in Moscow, Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said "So-called democrats consider that sexual minorities can be the main indicator and main symbol of democracy, but we will in future continue to ban propaganda of the views of sexual minorities."
The 72-year-old Mayor also said there was no scientific proof that condoms provided full protection against sexually transmitted diseases and implied gays and lesbians for the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"Those views could become one of the factors of the spread of HIV," said Luzhkov. "Of course, we will be criticized by all democrats in the world but in each society there are own views on that."
Luzhkov, who has called homosexuality "satanic," has banned several gay rights marches in Moscow and pledges to continue that ban to "prevent public disorder."
Two years ago police, militant Russian Orthodox churchgoers and neo-fascists attacked the first gay rights march in Moscow.
The country's powerful Russian Orthodox Church disapproves of homosexuality.
Speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference in Moscow, Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said "So-called democrats consider that sexual minorities can be the main indicator and main symbol of democracy, but we will in future continue to ban propaganda of the views of sexual minorities."
The 72-year-old Mayor also said there was no scientific proof that condoms provided full protection against sexually transmitted diseases and implied gays and lesbians for the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"Those views could become one of the factors of the spread of HIV," said Luzhkov. "Of course, we will be criticized by all democrats in the world but in each society there are own views on that."
Luzhkov, who has called homosexuality "satanic," has banned several gay rights marches in Moscow and pledges to continue that ban to "prevent public disorder."
Two years ago police, militant Russian Orthodox churchgoers and neo-fascists attacked the first gay rights march in Moscow.
The country's powerful Russian Orthodox Church disapproves of homosexuality.