Prune out the facebook part of the link: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#! ... s/KN6r2NPM

Thanks, Arq! I forgot to take that out. Sorry...

Signed.

I just heard about this

Absolutely shocking.
Here is another link about it, which also contains an online petition.
From looking around, it seems people think this is just an attempt to win over Russias conservative voters for an upcoming election, but that there is a very real chance it could pass (it's already passed one of 3 political hurdles it needs to, to become law).

That is absolutely disgusting! The idea that it's okay to put a muzzle on the gay community is akin to those assholes who say "it's okay for people to be gay as long as they don't act gay around me". Seriously? What the hell is wrong with people? It's ignorant.

I agree it is disgusting. I signed the petition. Thanks for letting us know!

The Russians lumped pedophiles together with LGBT people when putting together this legislation. It tells you where their lawmakers' heads are at. Russia needs to join the rest of us in the 21st century.

Latest news is that they've shelved the bill vote for now. Maybe the outcry from millions of people around the world, Amnesty International, and the U.S. State Department (through Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's denouncement of Russia's anti-human rights move) has given Russia some pause to consider.

-- Nephele

That's something at least, the support it recieved from the Russian government is truely disheartening though :

Source

Do you have any links for the bill being shelved Nephele?
I wasn't able to find anything.

[edit]
Nevermind, I found It

Sorry I didn't post a link, Milky. The postponement is a late development, no doubt due to the international outcry against Russia's human rights violation with this proposed law.

You'd think Russian lawmakers would turn their efforts towards areas where the monitoring of their citizenry is actually needed -- such as with the thousands over there who perpetrate fraud and resource theft via the Internet. (Note to all, a huge amount of the spammers we get here at Goth.net are coming out of Russia -- and China. You never see them, though, because moderators and administrators are continually at work keeping them off the board.)

-- Nephele

I'm so glad that this bill is being "re-thought" (and I signed the petition anyway)... and thank you for all of the hard work that you and all the staff do to make G.net a spam free place, Nephele

That's stupid considering that most pedophiles identify as straight, from what I've heard.

I signed the petition last night.

The majority of us are still in the mid-20th. Russia is just a bit more 1940's than the rest of us.

I don't get the LGBT deal in general. In my experience sexuality is more a spectrum. I might find some girls attractive but not all, but only date guys, so am I bi? Does it matter?? If you want you could start a thread for a specific topic, but goth and gay seems pretty general, not enough to have much to talk about other then, what's it like to be goth and gay or is it harder being gay and goth and such.

The 'deal' about LGBT is that so many who ARE LGBT are bullied, preyed upon, beaten, killed, disowned, disgraced, and overall treated like shit by other people who believe that any form of homosexuality (including Transgender, even though that is not a sexuality) to be sinful and wrong and find excuses to hurt LGBT people simply because of who they sleep with. THAT is the dig deal about wanting or needing community with other LGBT people- because for some it is community or suicide. It's easier to travel your path when you know others were traveling it with you.



I think people are born LGBT, it is not something that is chosen. You either are LGBT or you are not. It is really that simple. I use to think the spectrum idea was a valid point, but I've come to realize just how wrong it could be. Does sexuality change over time or does time just give you the freedom to learn about parts of yourself that you've suppressed through the years?

If you are attracted sexually to both males and females, you're bisexual.



Maybe not to you. But it matters to me and I am sure it matters greatly to other people. It is up for each person to decide if it matters or not.

Until LGBT have the same rights as everyone else then it is big problem. You shouldn't be condemned for being who you are. If you don't want to live with a label, that's fine, but on the whole it DOES matter in the sense that we are unequal.

I hope the day comes that sexuality shouldn't matter (because really it should not. You should be able to love anyone you choose without controversy) but right now, it does.

Even when it doesn't matter, I think it's okay to take pride in your sexuality. It is a part of who you are and its okay to be happy about that.



A lot of LGBT people (from what I have been told) tend to try to distance themselves from Goths, because LGBT people get enough grief as it is without more shit being added to it. "Gay" (Which is a word I really don't like very much for its negative uses) and Goth may be general to you and this topic may seem pointless to you, but sometimes people need community. We need to feel close to those walking along the same path we are walking. It's not your place to judge that harshly, which you seem to be doing with you post.

It is not just talk about being LGBT and being Goth. It's about friendships, bonding, sharing experiences you can't find elsewhere among people who *should* be understanding.

Very well said!

I wish people would be more understanding. I've been through too much bullying for being both goth and bisexual. I feel worse for my friend though, she had it worse then anyone and bullies ended up beating her to death for it! I miss her so much.

I'm sad now...