Ben Summerskill chief executive of Stonewall the LGB equality organisation has issued an email message to all their supporters regarding the situation for LGBT people in Russian.
It reads:
“It seems much longer than two weeks ago that the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act received Royal Assent.
“Sadly this historic landmark, the final piece of legislative equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in England and Wales, still contrasts starkly with the regressive actions of governments around the world. From Uganda to the Ukraine, we’ve recently seen governments curtail the freedoms of gay people.
“At Stonewall we remain deeply concerned in particular about the situation for LGB & T people in Russia. We’re continuing to press the British Government to take action. Ministers have assured us that they raised their concerns about human rights abuses at the 2013 UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue in May and at the G8 Summit in June.
“Stonewall staff have also recently met with Russian activists to provide advice and support and we’ll continue to work closely with them. At their request, we’ve shared our experiences of campaigning against homophobic laws such as Section 28 in Britain.
“With the Winter Olympics now less than six months away we also remain deeply concerned about the situation for visitors to Russia, including Team GB. We don’t think the International Olympic Committee and UK sports bodies have gone nearly far enough in providing concrete commitments on how they plan to support affected athletes and spectators. This is something we’ll continue to push for.
“Go to our website for a more detailed factsheet which sets out some of the key issues facing gay people in Russia and how to show support. Sadly, as with any campaign to change laws and hearts and minds this struggle will require long term, concerted effort.
“We’re committed to legislative equality worldwide, not just in Britain. With your support, we’re determined to help transform gay people’s lives across the globe.
You must be logged in to post a comment.