Categories: random
Date: 26 April 2009 16:47:23
When I was doing my PhD fieldwork a couple of years ago in eastern Europe one of the things that struck me (and I can't think why this was unexpected, sigh) was just how bloody obstructive the church was in all matters relating to sexuality. Then in May last year both countries had (or attempted to have) gay pride festivals, and the religious media and blogosphere exploded in bile that went way beyond disapproval, to violence and hatred that has made me ashamed and horrified and sad and disgusted. A couple of sites and some of the blogs I read literally haven't given it a rest since. In a fortnight's time, another festival is planned in Moldova, and already the blogs and other church-based media are frothing at the mouth and gearing up to oppose it again. So soon after the anti-communist protests there (which have died down, but the repercussions are ongoing - many people who were arrested were assaulted by police, the vote recount has confirmed the communists in power, and I don't think we've seen the last of this) tensions are already high, and I am scared that this year it will degenerate into worse violence than last year.
I'm in two minds about this festival - on the one hand I think it's really important to give the same message year in year out about equality and acceptance and the inequalities that people face. On the other hand, by appearing to say little about the recent protests I don't think the festival organisers have done themselves any favours, with the religious media banging on about the fact that teh evil gayz are so obsessed with their own human rights that they are saying nothing about the human rights of others (similar arguments were made by pro-gay activists about large sections of the black community in the USA claiming their rights as a discriminated-against minority and voting for Obama, but then opposing Prop 8 in California). Maybe if they'd said that the festival would still go ahead but would be delayed by a month or two in solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters that would have been the best thing - maintaining their (hugely important) message, but siting themselves in their wider context (oh arse, that poncey last clause sounds like it's come straight out of my thesis!!), not to mention giving the religious right less ammunition to aim at them.
I don't know. Whatever, it's happening 7-9 May and I'm scared of what might happen. Lord have mercy. +