Straight MP sues Putin for gay rights

By Marc Shoffman • June 22, 2006 - 0:00

The organisers of last month's Moscow Gay Pride condemned the Russian authorities for causing the violence which resulted in over 120 arrests.

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A gay rights campaigner in Russia is planning to sue President Vladimir Putin for failing to protect homosexuals.

Edward Murzin, an MP in the country's Bashkortostan Republican, is urging Mr Putin to clamp down on homophobia in the country.

Mr Murzin said in his case that all citizens should have constitutional rights protected including sexual minorities. He claims that Mr Putin allows violations of gay rights to continue, "If Putin just once expressed tolerance towards sexual minorities, the air would be cleared in Russia."

Mr Murzin, a self proclaimed "champion of homosexual rights has previously put forward gay marriage laws.

The organisers of last month's Moscow Gay Pride condemned the Russian authorities for causing the violence which resulted in over 120 arrests.

Gay activists including Nikolay Alexeyev, one of the main rally planners, were arrested along with nationalists and religious protesters.

The Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov said he banned the parade because the city is morally cleaner than the West, Reuters news agency reported.

He told Moscow radio, "Our way of life, our morals and our tradition, our morals are cleaner in every way. The West has something to learn from us and should not race along in this mad licentiousness.

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