International Day Against Homophobia was celebrated worldwide on May 17. In Tbilisi it was marked by small procession in the city center. No, it was not a gay parade, just a procession. About 20-30 people gathered near the Philharmonic Hall.
[All photos and their descriptions, as well as translated comments are taken from http://springator.livejournal.com/82378.html]
Placards – “I am gay”, “God doesn’t accept violence”, Love is love”.
The procession was joined by a pair of tourists from Sweden. They are a married couple who spend their first day in Georgia. They were very happy to see the procession, and even kissed each other for camera - to the shock of surrounding people and joy of gay activists.
By the way, the march has been approved by authorities, the organizers received the written permission from the mayor’s office. The government even promised to provide security. Indeed, the procession was accompanied by three patrol cars and jeep.
At first all went well - rare passers would curse, the youth smiled and hid eyes from cameras.
Not far from metro station “Rustaveli” the procession was caught up by the activists of “Union of Orthodox Parents” in the rows of which there are few priests, screaming women and about a dozen of strong guys. Their number was growing due to the “sympathizing” passers-by of different age, complexion, and degree of alcoholic intoxication.
The Orthodox fighters for the purity of sexual life blocked the march near the “Exhibition” at Rustaveli. They refused to give way to “blasphemy” and began explaining to the participants of the procession that living in sin was bad for karma.
The activists hadn’t rectified and genuinely did not understand what these bearded men wanted. The procession was peaceful, not noisy and didn’t make any provocations, except for the “Swedish kiss” at the beginning.
When the “orthodox” saw that talking didn’t help, they switched to swearing. Men started to push the members of the procession. The pavement was still blocked.
At this point, police escort left the procession. There was not a single police car in the whole Rustaveli Street. The organizers called the police three times saying that the procession was attacked and its members were abused physically and verbally. Police had not appeared for more than 10 minutes.
It was during these 10 minutes that the fight broke out – simultaneously in few places. Fought mostly ”young Orthodox” beating the activists, tearing posters. The Swedes also got involved in the accident. At the same time the priests (I myself heard it!) offered to “burn those sodomites at the stake”. Fortunately, it did not come to the fire.
Several groups of police arrived and started to separate the fighters. As far as I know, the patrol took three activists, among them - my girl. None of ”Orthodox” was detained. To be fair, they were not taken to the police station – they just rode them through the city, held an ‘explanatory conversation’ and released.
In the end, ”contrary to nature” people have been tamed and the march just fell apart, leaving behind the torn posters and swearing crowd. And, of course, the priests who are convinced that they had made a good deed today.
Do not want to comment, but it is necessary. Bastards, savages, stupid priests, the Middle Ages. Want Europe? Tourists? They’ll be burnt! Behind the back, police said “why do we need those pederasts here…”
P.S.
Excellent comment by ‘adontz’ – “Faggots beat up the gays“.
***
Comments of Russian and Georgian netizens
And since today this post entered the tops of Russian blogosphere – let’s see the comments of Russian netizens.
geostringer: Two nasty sides collided. This is one of few cases where something good comes from the Orthodox. The police did everything right.
blakk: In defense of what rights was the rally organized? What rights of gays are not respected?
springator (replying to blakk): The right to say that gays are human beings like everyone else. The right to not beaten in the street because of the rainbow flag, the right to mark the International Day against Homophobia.
blakk (continuing the discussion): I wonder – if I in public start to kiss passionately my girlfriend and keep the slogan “I’m heterosexual and I like vaginal sex” – will someone have problems?
ulanbatir: Good for the Georgians for not disgracing the motherland. They showed those Sodomites that there are still normal people in Georgia.
buzuzi: I’m not gay, but these Orthodox with their priests are more disgusting to me! I’m sorry, I do not know why!
iberias: Nothing terrible happened, faggots are beaten also in the Baltic states [ed: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia] which are closer to Europe. But the progress is visible, 10 years ago even this [procession] would be unimaginable…
guramushka67: I have nothing against gays … - I am against the parade …
I am not against orthodoxy … I am against obscurantism ….
alhambra13: Georgians have never been fags! I want to believe that they won’t be infected with this disease. As for the colored flags – they must be tied around their necks to hang them on the first lamp post.
yussouf: And all this in the country where men traditionally kiss when meeting! Hahaha
temur25: Those priests are, of course, stupid. Only made publicity to gays.
simon: They should be properly dealt – so that they don’t make their parades. Fuck as you wish, but don’t infect others with this plague.
highlander_ge: When will we have the parade of straight men? Or girls who love smart and strong men? Or parade of pedophiles? I don’t understand this desire to show off own sexual preferences in public.
astor_80: Though I don’t belong to sexual minorities but I would go to support such march. Eventually we have to finally tell the medieval plebs that there are such people. And that they also have the right to live, to love and be loved.
george_patton: Civilized society is not determined by the presence of faggots and permissiveness. They’ve been beaten up – and rightly so. Respect the opinions of normal people!
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Priests that have no compassion or sympathy in their heart should not become priests in the first place.
There are people look up to these guys to lead them. They should never lead anyone into hating another human being infact what they should be teaching is compassion and sympathy towards others. It’s not like you have to become gay yourself to just live peacefully with them. This is making your country seem so backwards, uncivilised and ugly by the way you beat someone in the street because you disagree with them.
It’s people like this who are the disgrace to Georgia. They are the sort that give religions bad names and create these hateful, biggoted people.
in georgia never will be gay parads because normal people dont want see gays. if they want to be gays its their problem why to show someone else and have such big attention? they arent example of society