Hello all! First let me say we are all safe and sound here in Moscow and are all filled with a sense of extreme honor to have been a part of the first actual Pride March here in Moscow. The experience we had was one that none of us will ever forget, including our dear straight cameraman Josh Rainhard. In order to help you all understand what this experience was like I will take you all back to Friday.
On Friday we were anxiously trying to get in touch with Nikolai to find out what the plan was for the weekend. He had already shared with us the fact that no decision had been made officially as to when they would assemble to have the annual attempt of Pride in Moscow. This was to help ensure that what they did would not give any of the anti-gay groups too much opportunity to counter-assemble against us. We were told that there would be a meeting on Saturday that would explain the plans for the Sunday and we could attend that meeting. In order to maintain a level of secrecy, we would be given a call on Saturday to be told the location on the meeting. So the adventure begins.
Before this however, we were invited to the Canadian Embassy here in Moscow, as the Ambassador is a personal friend of one of the team, Morris Chapdelaine. It was an amazing affair and the four of us, myself, Morris, Josh, and Bob Christie our director and leader were able to dine with some other guests such as Nikolai and some of his associates from the Pride Moscow team and some other Russian guests from human rights groups and media. It was definitely the calm before the storm, so to speak.
On Saturday, we were contacted about 3pm and told that the meeting was happening and given a landmark to go to and told to call again once we reached that location. After we did were given an address and it was an apartment of someone who cannot be mentioned for safety reasons and we headed forward. When we arrived it was a large building complex and we were told to say to the guard at the gate that we were going to a "birthday party". By the way, there are police of various levels and guards everywhere in Moscow. We arrived at the apartment and invited in to join a group of people of men and women of various ages who were all speaking in Russian. Our host, who I will say nothing more than the fact that she was a wonderful person and it was a pleasure to meet her, also spoke English. So she brought us in and started to translate information for us as the official part of the meeting started. The short of the meeting was that the decision had been made this year to try and create a positive event instead of the traditional violent gathering of the previous two years. So, though the website officially listed the City hall as the gathering place for the event, it was not where we were going to meet. I should mention at this point that the city government here denied all of the approximately 150 applications that were made to have a gathering. As Nikolai spoke to his team I watched as they were all listening with a sense of excitement and commitment to this cause. What was shared with us was this, Nikolai said that though he trusted everyone one on the team completely, to ensure a successful execution, he would not share the actual meeting spot to any of them. There were a couple of people on the team who knew what that plan was and they needed to trust them. All we were told is the Metro station to meet at and the time. We were told that when we arrived there to wait until someone contacted us and take us to the meeting place. We were to go in no more than twos or threes and not to acknowledge each other when we arrived. After meeting a few people we left, excited and anxious for the next day.
Sunday morning we woke up and met our Russian translator that we had hired, Vladimir and Graham and Lola. Graham is a previous employee of Transmission, which is the production company that is backing this project. Lola is his girlfriend who is studying in Europe and they came to meet us in Moscow to help with the documentation of this event. The decision had been made to split into two groups, Bob, Josh, Vladimir and myself will go to the secret meeting spot to attend the actual event and Morris, Graham and Lola would go to City Hall to the 'public' event that would most likely attract many anti-gay and hate groups to try and stop the event. We headed from our hotel and went downtown, wished each other good luck and went to our secret meeting spot.
I was on the wireless microphone, so Josh could hear anything I said so the decision to split into couples was made, Bob and I and Josh and Vladimir. We got off of the subway onto a platform and immediately recognized one of the other organizers. We walked past him with out acknowledging him and walked into the platform of the station. We then also saw a couple of others, all alone and not acknowledging each other. We were not sure what to do and have to say our hearts were all racing. There were 4 police walking the platform, though this was not necessarily unusual, as I have said police are everywhere here. Though when one of them stop and spoke to one of the organizers our hearts started racing. We kept trying to look like dumb tourists and looking at our Subway map hoping we just looked lost. As we stood there, another dozen or more police appeared on the metro platform. Just as our panic seemed too much to handle, one of the group approached us and said to follow him, and we happily did. Once outside he explained we were going to a café and that we would wait there till the appropriate time. We arrived at the café, which was next to the Tchiackovsky Conservatory. This place was chosen as it was a beautiful serene spot and also that Tchiackovsky is one of the most famous Russian composers and well known as a gay man. As we sat in the café sipping our cappuccinos we were in constant contact with our other group by text message and listened to them talk as media and protestors started to gather as time went on. It is important to mention that a handful of media were chosen by Nikolai and brought to the real event with him.
As the time got closer, we recognized other couples in the café as people who were from the meeting the day before and also saw others, hanging out on the street and the sidewalk. All anxiously waiting for the signal to go and gather in front of the building. The woman who was given the task as the key person was actually sitting right behind us. As the time got closer, the anticipation grew. Then, finally, we saw her answer her phone, she got up and started to move and then the rest of us followed. In what seemed like a split second, there was assembled a group of 15- 20 people. The Moscow Pride banner came out as well as a bunch of Pride Flags. Nikolai appeared as though from nowhere with a contingent of media and press in tow. He spoke and led the team in chants of protest and celebration. And then came the moment that Nikolai and his team had dreamed of for so long, WE MARCHED. It might have only been for a short distance (not even a whole city block), but none the less, we marched. No one to stop us, no protestors, no police, no hate. I must share that the feeling that emanated from the group was tangible. A sense of freedom, a sense of success, a sense of true PRIDE! Then as quickly as it began, it ended. People gathered the flags and banners and put them into plastic bags and dispersed as quickly as we had gathered.
After gathering ourselves, we decided to go to the other event to see what was happening and how our other crew had made out. Our concern was growing, as we had not heard from them for a while. We arrived to city hall to see groups of people gathered. Groups of Orthodox Priest and Nuns with symbols of religion as well as Nationalists and skinheads and some who looked the guy or girl next door. We cautiously approached the group and I have to say I had never felt so fearful in my life. The level of tension and hate was tangible and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. We spotted our friends and Bob ran to them in the midst of a group to try and gather them. Expecting that they would follow quickly, Josh and I moved quickly to the prearranged post meeting spot. As time passed and we had not seen the rest of the group, the anxiety started again.
After a short time, Morris and Bob appeared. It was obvious that something had happened as they were visibly shaken. They shared with us that they had been seen talking to someone from the Gay Activist group and as a group attacked one gay man, Bob was jumped from behind. Morris quickly grabbed the guy who then swung and punched Morris in the nose. (You should all know that this was also Morris' birthday). They then realized that they had to get out and left as quickly as possible, unable to communicate with Graham and Lola. Shortly after, Graham and Lola arrived and we all sighed a huge relief. What they had witnessed was a Moscow Pride Banner being hung from an apartment beside city hall by some of the protestors. Nikolai and his group had strategically planned and rented a flat in the building a few months before just for the purpose of hanging this banner. The banner only hung for a short while before it was targeted with eggs and eventually torn down.
The sad part is the four men in the apartment were now stranded there. We learned this later in the evening as we gathered again with the Pride group to celebrate their success of the day. The feeling of joy that was in the room, including the man who was covered in bruises and a few band aids from being beaten was also mixed with the anxiety as some of the group tried to find a lawyer to help successfully get the men out of the apartment where they were being held and had the electricity cut. These men were eventually arrested but then released and there seems to be no overt violations of their human rights.
I will close this with a personal comment. I am still welled up with tears as I relive these events in my head. I have never felt such a sense of humility as I did this day. As I personally work on the events of our own Pride, I think I may never have the feeling I had with my Muscovite friends, when for the first time ever, they marched with Pride in the streets of Moscow!
Humbly,
Yours in Pride,
Treasurer
Parade Committee Chair
Fund Raising Committee Chair
Vancouver Pride Society
