Hanna The law had nothing to do with what you say online - it's obvious they just want to curb the excesses of the gay movement in Europe and the USA. Do you think that the Russians believe that someone will come knocking on the door because they wrote on MasterRussian that the law is bad? As far as I can see Russians are bitching away with insane conspiracy theories and insults on politicians on blogs etc. Not to mention radical islamic, left wing and nazi sites. This seems to be going on uncurbed. Much worse stuff than complaining about a silly law. Besides, they don't have NSA and certainly not the manpower even if somebody cared.
It isn't that I think the government would come knocking at anyone's door over things they said online. It's other kinds of social reprisals I am talking about. I've already experienced a few attacks right here at MR for saying the same things I am saying on this thread. A few other people appear to be "shunning" me because of my opinions here, apparently forgetting that I do not talk about gays every hour at the day. I've chatted with some of the people on this site for almost two years now, and I hope that by now they know me well enough that they understand, that just because I am speaking my mind here on this thread, does not mean I am going to talk about gay rights in every other conversation we have. I get that many Russians will not agree with me. It's a forgone conclusion, really.

Fortunately I don't live in Russia, so I don't have to worry about my employer seeing what I say on Facebook, for example, and firing me the next day. I worry that I would get in trouble if I went to live in Russia again, and I am not even gay, I just have gay friends who I openly support. I can only imagine what it would be like to be gay living there! I would have to hide everything about myself and pretend to be straight, or I would be ostracized by the community, and possibly worse. As I've said before, it isn't just the law - with all of its ambiguous wording - which concerns me, it's the growing numbers of neo-Nazis and skinheads and religious fanatics who beat gay people up, attack them, humiliate them, torture them, etc. And maybe the law charges some of them, but it certainly doesn't charge all of them. There is definitely a prevalent attitude that gay people are just "getting what they deserve." I have even heard that attitude expressed right here at MR.

I think the law is just the tip of the iceberg really. As for myself, maybe it's because I am no longer involved with christian religion (I once was, in fact my uncle was a famous Televangelist in the US back in the 1970's - and that is a whole other long story), but I don't really see gay people "taking over." Sure there are a few movies with gay actors, there are some TV shows about gay people, there are gay pride parades on so on, but it doesn't really bother me. I can take it, or leave it. I like "Project Runway" for example, because it's a show about fashion and I love designing my own clothing. The fashion industry has a lot of gay people in it though, and so "Project Runway" can come across as very "gay." It doesn't really bother me. On the other hand, I am not watching gay porn on TV because it just doesn't interest me! I watched "Brokeback Mountain" and thought it was a good movie, but I don't especially need to watch it again.

I certainly see many more "manifestations" of religion, living here in the US. Within a five mile radius of my home there are at least ten churches! Ten! And yet the right wing christian community claims all the time that it is being "persecuted" by the "liberals" and their "gay agenda." I think what they mean by being persecuted, is that they do not have the authority to shut people up. It isn't as though their churches are all being shut down, and christians are being shot on site. It's the other way around really. Admit you are gay, or atheist, or just a non-believer, and you can expect a great deal of persecution here in the states... people will ostracize you, judge you, stab you in the back. My last workplace was 90% christian. When people found out I was not a christian, they made my life difficult.

Hanna: Well, you know I like you and Lampada a lot. None of us have extreme views on this. We just happen to be on different sides of the absolute centre, so to speak.... We are arguing nicely, so there is no issue.
And I like you as well! We do not have to agree on this one subject. I am sure there are many other subjects which we would agree on. This is just one issue. It's a big issue, but it too, will pass.