It is amazing how something that began as a class project at my Alma Mater, the University of Virginia, has grown. Not only was the National Day of Silence last week observed by many in the USA, but now the concept is being utilized in Russia. In response to the government banning a gay pride parade on May Day, members of the LGBT community in St. Petersburg plan a day of silence to bring attention to the plight of gays in Russia. Moreover, Russia is a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights, which obligates Russia to observe the rights to peaceful assembly and demonstrations. Thus, A complaint has been filed in the European Court in Strasbourg. UK Gay News has some coverage on the "Day of Silence" that can be found here. Here are some highlights:*
ST. PETERSBURG, April 26,2007 – Gay men and women in St. Petersburg will be marking the first-ever Russian Day of Silence on Saturday May 3 with a rally on Malaya Konyushennaya Street. Participants at the rally, which is sub-titled “Sometimes to be heard you have to be silent” will have their mouths taped as they hand-out flyers and other promotional material to passers-by without comment, a spokesperson for the organisers said.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 26,2007 – Gay men and women in St. Petersburg will be marking the first-ever Russian Day of Silence on Saturday May 3 with a rally on Malaya Konyushennaya Street. Participants at the rally, which is sub-titled “Sometimes to be heard you have to be silent” will have their mouths taped as they hand-out flyers and other promotional material to passers-by without comment, a spokesperson for the organisers said.
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The Day of Silence in Russia is an action targeted at the general population and intended to draw people’s attention to the problems of silencing hate crimes, discrimination, and intolerance. “It is an opportunity to demonstrate that these problems concern not "other" people somewhere else, but us directly – our families, our loved ones, our friends,” the spokesperson said.
The Day of Silence in Russia is an action targeted at the general population and intended to draw people’s attention to the problems of silencing hate crimes, discrimination, and intolerance. “It is an opportunity to demonstrate that these problems concern not "other" people somewhere else, but us directly – our families, our loved ones, our friends,” the spokesperson said.
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“These issues are no less relevant to modern Russia than they are to the Western nations. In recent years, the number of hate crimes based on ethnicity or religion has been growing. Next month’s Russian Day of Silence will be dedicated to the problems of discrimination and intolerance towards LGBT, as well as ethnic, religious, and other minorities.
“These issues are no less relevant to modern Russia than they are to the Western nations. In recent years, the number of hate crimes based on ethnicity or religion has been growing. Next month’s Russian Day of Silence will be dedicated to the problems of discrimination and intolerance towards LGBT, as well as ethnic, religious, and other minorities.
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