While celebrating her third birthday, Russia Profile published my interview with Sophie in “˜t Veld and Marco Cappato, the two European MEPs who were present during last months Gay Pride in Moscow.

From the article I quote Sophie in “˜t Veld;

“œA couple of years ago in Warsaw, things were difficult there,” said in”™t Veld. “œNow when I attend parades there, the atmosphere is very good, peaceful. If it”™s possible in Warsaw,” she added hopefully, “œit is also possible in Moscow.”

I wonder. Surely both cities are inhabited by the conceptually same “˜homo post sovieticus”™. But I think the fundamental problem lies in the fact that Moscow lacks what Warsaw has, something undefined that I keep calling “˜europeness”™. Maybe not. Lets see in five years. I surely hope to be wrong. Read the rest of the article here.