A few days ago pre-election video of the Murmansk deputies appeared on the Internet. Viral advertising of those who want to get into the State Council of "people’s representatives" is based on the slogan "Against babblers and gays". Besides, there is a scene with a banner "Parade to be" and several jubilant people in front of it, after the change of the display they look like the winner of "Eurovision-2014" Conchita Wurst.
It received wide publicity in the Arctic and at the federal level, and now there is a check in the prosecutor's office of Murmansk in response to the appearance of scandalous "agitation" on the Internet.
“LGBT community reacted angrily! Deputies using negative rhetoric against gays in campaign material provoke homophobic sentiment and emphasize these sentiments among the candidates; society has been already negative to LGBT community. We believe that the violation of human rights in this reel is specifically in inciting of enmity or hatred against gays with a simple phrase "anti-gay". I wrote a letter to the prosecutor through the Internet reception: "Please carry out an inspection conserning Guz Oleg Nikolaevich and Gismeev Almaz Rafikovich upon excitation of enmity or hatred". In the morning, I was informed that my message was not recorded, but I called and talked to the employee of the prosecutor's office personally, and found out that there was a statement, and it would be register in the near future,” coordinator of the Legal Service of the Murmansk regional public organization "Center of psycho-social and legal support to victims of discrimination and homophobia "Maximum" Violetta Grudina commented on the situation for «7x7».
So far, Violetta Grudina got the answer only from the Election Commission of the Murmansk region, which is also interested in electoral reel of homophobic deputies.
As for the polar defenders, according to a member of the Regional Youth Council for Human Rights of the Murmansk region Vitaly Servetnik, this video should be estimated not by the legal and the public terrain:
“I don’t see an administrative offence here, this is not a call to somehow restrict the rights of gays or babblers. Another candidate may speak against the "silent ones and pensioners", for example. Simple political rhetoric. So this part of the question is not for the prosecution but for the voters. Such rhetoric will become quite popular in the not very legible and quite homophobic (which is also a sign of ignorance) society. But as soon as a more discerning and responsible voter asks the candidates, what they propose to do against "babblers and gays", we’ll hear nothing concrete, I'm afraid. Especially since they have refused to comment. How is that? The position is declared, the attention is attracted, but they don’t want or can’t decipher, present the program. So, it is still a big question if they are babblers themselves. It doesn’t matter if the candidates themselves are gay, because it is not a disadvantage, as well as left-handedness, for example. Another interesting question — whether the candidates accept these reels as their own, because it is also a question. If they accept it, then the clarification of positions is needed. And if they don’t, then they must appeal to the prosecutor's office as soon as possible, it is in their own interest to disown false or defamatory reels. Or rivals in the presidential race can help, or even the TEC if the persons involved are not worried about their honor. The proceedings in the legal terrain can take place here.
Photo: Violetta Grudina
Alexander Borisov, «7x7»