Russian Activists Angered By Absence Of Support Intend To Embarrass European Union, Moscow Court Upholds Ban On Pride Parade, Zimbabwe Court Frees Two Gay Activists, American Conference Of Bishops Views Employment Non-Discrimination Act As Threat To Traditional Marriage

Russian gay activists announced that they will stage a rally outside the European Union office in Moscow, protesting what they say is an obvious absence of support from the EU and its member states. The planned action arrives as gay activists again saw their attempt to plan a Pride parade banned by the city of Moscow. Activists hope to embarrass the European Union, exposing their continuing reluctance to support the rights of sexual minorities in Russia.

The announcement arrives as a Moscow court upheld a ruling by the city to ban a gay pride parade planned for this Sunday, the fifth straight year the celebration has been banned. Organizer and activist Nikolay Alexeyev said that he would appeal the decision to a higher court, and added that the parade would likely take place permit or not. “Just as we conducted our actions (previously), we will continue to conduct them even despite the absence of permission,” said Alexeyev.

A court in Zimbabwe has freed the two employees of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, held in custody since their arrest six days ago on charges they possessed indecent material and with contravening Section 33 of the Criminal Law Act for allegedly undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe. A framed letter from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown praising the work of GALZ and condemning Mugabe’s continual oppression of gay equality was hung on the walls of the offices. Ellen Chademana and Ignatius Muhambi were released on a $200 bail each, and are to appear again in court June 10th at which time they will faces either imprisonment or a small fine. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe human rights legal aid that is represented the two filed a complaint against the conduct of the investigation officers, alleging that they deliberately misinformed them about the whereabouts of the two GALZ employees. They also contend the two were mistreated in custody, routinely denied medical care and beaten by police.

Predictably, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging Congress to oppose passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – or ENDA – a law that effectively eliminate the ability of employers to discriminate in any and all way based solely on perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The USCCB released a statement that read in part that the group continues to oppose “unjust discrimination against people with a homosexual inclination, but we cannot support a bill – such as ENDA in its current form – that would legally affirm and specially protect any sexual conduct outside of marriage.” The statement suggests that laws like ENDA are part of larger movement to redefine marriage as that including “two persons of the same sex.”