CHRISTIANS OPPOSE GAY MARCH IN ODESSA
Despite the fact that Odessa is a tolerant city, representatives of Christian churches have spoken out against a march by gays that is scheduled for 15 August. In connection with this, as RISU has already reported, Christian believers even wrote a letter to the city head, Gennady Trukhanov, requesting prohibition of the conduct of "Odessa Pride-2015," expressing thereby the united and clear position of all churches of the city.
Leaders of Odessa's Christian churches announced their point of view during a press conference on 12 August.
"All of this is a popularization and imposition of views that lead to the destruction of society. Do we really want a repetition in Odessa of 2 May? This event can evoke an ambiguous reaction among bystanders, the more so when there are many tourists in the city. This can lead to disorders in the city," stressed Archpriest Igor Taras, a representative of the Odessa exarchate of the UGKTs.
"All representatives of Christian confessions today are raising their voice about the impermissibility of the propaganda of sin in our city and in our society, and our appeal is the result of this united voice. We consider that such events will disturb the peace in our society and, of course, they are unambiguously and fundamentally impermissible, especially in our highly cultured and intelligent city," appealed to the people of Odessa the rector of the St. Alexis church of the deanery churches of the Odessa diocese of the UPTsMP, Archpriest Pavel.
"Homosexuality is sin. 'Do not lie with a man as with a woman: this is an abomination,' is written in the book of Leviticus. And we should not look upon it calmly. On the contrary, we will do everything possible to put an end to it. There is no place in our city for such vices," declared the director of the Odessa-Balta diocese of the UPTsKP, Bishop Mark.
The declaration also emphasizes: "Such sinful events undermine the foundations of marriage and the family. Of course, we understand that the views of the LGBT community are their personal choice. Nevertheless, popularization and imposition of antibiblical and antitraditional views is impermissible and lead to the destruction of our society."
The leaders of the churches noted that appeals calling for prohibiting the propaganda of homosexuality in Odessa were also sent to the governor and the heads of the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ukrainian Security Service. A decision will be issued shortly.
In her turn, the organizer of "Odessa Pride-2015," Anna Leonova, emphasized that the event has been known about since last year, and she said that about 300 persons intend to participate in the rights march, 12 of whom are foreign guests. The route that the representatives of the LGBT community intend to walk still has not been confirmed. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2015)
COURT AND AUTHORITIES OF ODESSA PROHIBIT CONDUCTING GAY PARADE
The mayor of Odessa refused the organizers of a festival of queer culture, "Odessa Pride-2015," and did not accept an application for conducting a so-called "Equality March."
The department of information and relations with the public of the Odessa city council reported that this response to the chair of the organizing committee of the festival, Anna Leonova, was sent by the department of domestic policy of the city council, TSN reports.
The Odessa district administrative court also prohibited conducting a march in Odessa.
As the court reported to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, the decision was issued on the basis of a lawsuit from the Odessa city council, Khronika.info writes.
On 12 August 2015, the executive committee of the Odessa city council sent to the Odessa district administrative court a lawsuit against the head of the organizing committee of "Odessa Pride-2015." The Odessa city directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Odessa province also took the side of the city council.
The plaintiff asked the court to restrict the head of the organizing committee of "Odessa Pride-2015" in exercising the right to peaceful assembly by means of a ban on conducting mass public events in the period from 13 to 16 August 2015, specifically: meetings, rallies, picketing, processions, demonstrations, marches, and any other peaceful assemblies on the streets of the city of Odessa.
Among the arguments in its favor which the city council brought was that there exist in the city negative attitudes in the public with regard to the upcoming event and there also is a high likelihood of the use of force against march participants and of the violation of public order during the conduct of the event. In addition, the court also took into consideration the conduct of football matches in the city on 14 and 16 August.
"In light of the facts established in the judicial session, the court came to the conclusion that the conduct of the 'Equality March' event could create real danger and a threat to public order in the city and to the health and life of persons who will be participating in it and also of other citizens and guests of the city of Odessa and this is the basis for restricting the right to peaceful assembly by means of a prohibition to the founders, chair, and secretary of the organizing committee of 'Odessa Pride-2015' to conduct on 15 August 2015 the 'Equality March' in Odessa," the court explained.
Meanwhile the organizers of the event declared yesterday that, despite the opposition of the city council and threats, they still intend to march through the streets of Odessa. "If we receive the official decision regarding the prohibition of the event, we will file an appeal. If we are prohibited from a demonstration on specific streets, that is not horrible; Odessa is big. We will not give in. It's for certain—the festival will be!" one of the organizers of the "Odessa Pride-2015" festival, Alina Rakhuba, declared.
March participants had planned to walk along Pushkin and Mariinskaia streets and Shevchenko Prospect. However the police did not agree to this route.
The organizers said that already more than 200 persons, among whom there are foreigners, have registered for participating in the festival. The organizers also tried to reach an understanding with radical forces and ultras regarding nonaggression. They said that such agreements have already been achieved with a number of pro-Ukrainian organizations: "Odessa Self-defense," "Auto-Maidan," and "Right Sector." However, rank-and-file members of the organizations do not conceal their desire to prevent conducting the "Equality March." And the director of the Odessa division of Right Sector, Sergei Sternenko, declared: "We will not beat gays, but there also will be no march." In his opinion, the event is a provocation.
Representatives of the clergy have spoken out categorically against conducting the march. A number of representatives of various religious confessions held a press conference at which they declared that the conduct of the event in Odessa is a direct violation of biblical commandments and will undoubtedly lead its participants into the flames of Hell and society into events like 2 May 2014. Because of this they sent to the Odessa city council a request to ban the conduct of the march.
We recall that the festival devoted to alternative sexual cultures is scheduled for 14-16 August. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2015)
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