News

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MOSCOW, December 9, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, reiterated his prohibition of “gay pride” marches in the Russian city, during an international HIV/AIDS conference last week.

Speaking at the HIV/AIDS in Developed Countries conference in Moscow on Thursday of last week, Luzhkov defended his long-standing policy of forbidding homosexual activists and other advocates of deviant sexual practices to demonstrate in favor of their behavior.

Luzhkov observed that anal intercourse spreads the HIV virus.  He also noted that condoms are ineffective in preventing the transmission of the disease. 

“Some manufacturers claim that condoms are the best guarantee of AIDS, but modern science has proven that it is not so,” Luzhkov said. Research has shown that condoms have a failure rate of up to 10% – a figure admitted even by the United Nations Organization.

Luzhkov also denied that acceptance of public celebrations of homosexuality are indicative of the democratic nature of a society, according to a Russian media source.

Moscow’s feisty mayor has battled with homosexual activists over the “gay parade” since 2006.  He has noted that homosexual behavior is “unnatural” and has called the attempt to import “gay pride” into Russia as “satanic.”

His stand has received broad and strong support from religious groups, including the Russian Orthodox Church, Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, and the Muslim Grand Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin.

In February of this year, Russian homosexual activists began proceedings against the Moscow government in the European Court of Human Rights, hoping to receive a judgment against the ban.

  Previous LifeSiteNews Coverage:

Russian Homosexual Activists Complain of Pride Ban to European Court of Human Rights
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/feb/08022006.html

Russian Court Upholds Moscow Ban on Gay Pride Parade
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/sep/07090509.html

Homosexual Activists Ignore Authorities, Go Ahead with Illegal “Gay Pride” in Moscow
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052903.html

Russian Jewish Leaders Join Orthodox in Supporting Moscow Mayor’s Ban on Gay Pride
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/mar/06032705.html