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Loading ...Singer threatens to boycott Eurovision over Moscow anti-gay stand
05.11.2009 7:00pm EDT
(Amsterdam, Netherlands) The lead singer of the Netherlands’ entry in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest says he will refuse to perform if Moscow police violently suppress this year’s gay pride parade.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is being hosted by Moscow and will be broadcast throughout Europe.LGBT civil rights have set May 16 for the parade – the same day as the song festival finals will be held.
City officials have refused to grant a permit for the parade and gays say they will march anyway. A city spokesperson said that any attempt to hold a parade would be “firmly dealt with.” “Such events will be firmly stopped by the authorities,” Moscow city spokesperson Leonid Krutakov said.
Gay rights leaders have asked entrants to the Eurovision competition to use the telecast to speak out for LGBT rights.
Pop singer Gordon, a member of the Dutch group The Toppers, is the first to do so.
In an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS he said he will refuse to take the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest final if police stop the parade.
Laws against homosexuality were repealed at the end of the Communist era but Moscow city officials have refused to allow gays to hold a pride march for years.
Moscow Pride has seven cases already pending before the European Court of Human Rights.
I have just watched in horror the way a peaceful Gay Pride March was dealt with in the most brutal and disgusting way. Why, as an organisation bound by UK equality laws, not immediately boycotting the contest (which is being compared by a Gay man for Britain for goodness sake – who incidentally similarly has a duty as a gay man to pull out immediately). The song can be entered again next year.
The Eurovision is hugely popular amongst gay people who will feel upset and angry of the article’s content and agree with my comments. Why was no suggestion about this, and the fact that our compere is Gay, not mentioned in the article? The fact that the article went from this unbelievable behaviour to the glamorous singer and the venue was incredibly insulting to every LGBT person. The whole of Europe is looking forward to seeing Andrew Lloyd’s efforts and pulling out would send a clear message to Russia that such behaviour is unacceptable in a so-called modern European country.
Old attitudes die hard don’t they? Why is the BBC not standing up for equality and human rights?
“Russian people DO NOT WANT IT”
Elena, don’t you dare to speak for all of us. Who died and made you The Voice Of Russian People?
“Fair majority of us think that this is immoral”
UNfair majority, you mean.
“Russia is a different country with different principals and sooner the rest of the Europe accept it the better life will be for all of us.”
For all of *you*, surely. Not for all of *us*. Oh, but we don’t count. We have no right to speak. We’re not really Russians. We’re just disgusting predatory perverts or really confused victims of Western propaganda. Right?
No, it’s people like you who are disgusting.
I agree with Mike H – our song is crap and they are old fuddy duds who don’t matter anymore.
I’m Dutch and I think Gordon could come up with something else than walking away from the competition. If they don’t show up in the final (although I doubt we even reach the final), not a lot of people will care. If he would show up, but stand there silent, like David said, it would make a lot more impact than this.
The only good thing that comes out of his fuss is that there’s some mainstream media attention for gay rights issues in Russia on Dutch tv.
More people should join this, and more should have threatened this to Serbia as well. The way to evoke change is to hit them in their wallets, nothign else is as universal when it comes to communication.
“Singer threatens to boycott Eurovision over Moscow anti-gay stand” – Russian or Moscow officials have refused the parades in the past for one simple reason – Russian people DO NOT WANT IT. Fair majority of us think that this is immoral and certainly not Christian, Muslim or otherwise. If the Dutch singer came to the Eurovision with the aim of promoting the parade, then he came to a wrong place. He should go back to the Netherlands and show his attitude over there. Russia is a different country with different principals and sooner the rest of the Europe accept it the better life will be for all of us.
This is one of the reasons why I think the Dutch rock and make me want to visit there for my European vacation (whenever that happens).
Sadly, this is just a promotional ploy for the Netherlands in the song contest.
Their song is crap and they are represented by old fuddy duds who don’t matter anymore, so they’re trying to drum up publicity for their really bad song. Clearly I’m all for gay rights being on 365gay, but I think Gordon is a bit too hopeful about making a show of “not performing on finale night,” because that implies he’ll make it past the semi-finals with his group, which they won’t.
I doubt Moscow will care enough to give the principled act to seriously reflect on their decision.
A futile act at best in terms of helping change policy.
It would be even more dramatic if he went on stage and then just stood there silent. I wish we could encourage all the contestants, one after another, to do that…can you imagine? Especially if they broadcast the show live! A string of contestants coming out on stage and standing there in silence. I wonder how we could make that happen?
I’m very touched that he’d risk personal gain for what he thinks is right. Many people wouldn’t.
Yes! Let my people go!
Blessings to those of you who know me there. Tumults, beatings, imprisonments, etc.
Thanks God at least for one courageous singer. Even tho the show is full of gays, some chose rather to dance next to bikini girls than doing anything at all for their community (I am talking about the German entrant)