On This Date In ISBL History: Russia Bans Tribute To LGBT Victims Of Nazi Germany

As I am in Oregon helping my Dad recuperate from knee surgery, I thought I’d do something I’ll call “On This Date In ISBL History” and repost some things from back when the blog was new, and newish … this was originally published November 4, 2011:

To paraphrase an old Kermit the Frog ditty …

♫ ♪ It ain’t easy bein’ gay ♪ ♫

In fact, it’s downright hard being accused of being responsible for all of the ills around the world. I mean, we’re on the threshold of ruining marriage; we’re thisclose to the absolute degradation and downfall of society as we know it, and we’ve long been accused of unleashing Rip Taylor on the world.

Can’t a fag catch a break?

I mean, over there in Russia, we can’t even say we’re gay lest we’re accused of sparking some sort of propaganda. Now, that I get; I can’t recall how many times I’ve walked down a street here in Smallville and passed someone who says, "How are you?” And when I respond with, “I’m gay” they have me arrested for trying to spread that Gay Propaganda!

Or howsabout the time Carlos and I were in the coffee aisle at Kroger, debating on trying a new brand of coffee, you know, acting all like a couple and stuff, and then we found ourselves kicked out for trying to convert folks to gayism, or something.

I know, stupid, right? To paraphrase Dan Savage: It Gets Dumber.

Back there is Russia, where just saying you’re gay is a criminal offense, they have banned a tribute to the LGBTI victims of Nazi Germany. Yup, the Moscow government has refused a group that sought to condemn Adolf Hitler’s actions and honor the 100,000 gay people arrested during World War II.

The intention of the tribute was to also spread the message about not repeating past mistakes and ensuring something like the Holocaust never happens again, but the authorities rejected the application, saying paying tribute to gay victims of Nazi Germany could potentially ‘influence’ children on homosexuality.

Oh. Well, since you put it that way, I guess I can see it. I mean, I can see how calling attention to the 100,000 or so gay men and women in Nazi Germany who were rounded up, arrested, and taken to a concentration camp where  they were experimented upon, used as slave labor and then murdered, would make a bunch of questioning Russian kids say, “Ooh, being gay sounds fun!”

Let me say this again: seeing someone gay cannot make you gay; having someone tell you they’re gay cannot make you gay; hearing the word gay cannot make you gay. You know what makes you gay: being born that way, and no matter what Russia tries to do, little bitty gay Russian babies will continue to be born every single day.

And it’s still dangerous, even life-threatening, to be gay in Russia.

Or even to be gay-friendly.

And you can blame all of that on the homoerotic posturings, both on camera and in politics, of Donald's BFF Vladimir Put-It-In, I mean, Putin.