“Brzzt!”
[Here's a 200 word English summary of an story I wrote on last years Gay Pride in Moscow. There original story is available here in Dutch]
[photo-credit: oceanhug on flickr.com]
It”™s a bright sunny day in Moscow. As I approach, youngsters wearing protective masks pass. “œGays stink”, one tells.
There is a small group of gays, lesbians and transgender protestors. When they dare to take out small rainbow-flags fights emerge everywhere. Groups of skinheads, hooligans, old “˜babushkas”™ and radical orthodox believers attack. In the chaos I find a former member of Dutch parliament who is here to note down human-rights violations. There”™s too many, things get out of hand. “œIt”™s fascist, I can”™t think of any other word.”, he tells.
A bit later we wait on another location. Nobody dares to show up here. Bored skinheads hang around and talk with the riot-police, which is overwhelmingly present. “œBrzzt!”, we hear. Again. “œBrzzt!”. When I look for the origin of the sound, it turns out to be a police-officer expaining an electro-shock-machine to a group of skinheads. They look content.
But Alekseyev is an optimist. “œRussia eventually has to move towards Europe. This or “˜Back to the USSR”™.” How long will it take before Moscow can see a Gay-Pride like in Paris, London or Amsterdam? “œIt will take a long time”, tells Alekseyev, “œbut we”™ll get there.”
