Re: Lua Workshop 2014 in Moscow?

[Leo Razoumov <slonik.az@...>]

On 12/30/13, Roberto Ierusalimschy <roberto@inf.puc-rio.br> wrote:
>> Even here in the Netherlands someone gay gets beat up once in a while
>> (disgusting, but it happens). So that makes a list of Netherlands, France,
>> Russia and the US as non-possible locations for the next Lua workshop.
>> Maybe no more workshop at all, as the world seems to be a dangerous
>> place...
>
> +1. (Adds Brazil to the list; here tourists get beat up once in a while,
> regardless their sexual orientation.)
>
> -- Roberto
>

I think I can add my two cents here. As an American of Russian descent
who still has relatives and friends in Russia and who understands Russian
culture and present political/economical situation I can try to be impartial.

* Homosexuality in Russia has been around since forever. In modern
days it is legal
and quite open (many gay clubs in Moscow and elsewhere). Quite a few celebrities
are openly gay and many more are in the "closet". Russian government recently
passed the law that can punish same-sex propaganda to minors (whatever
it means).
After a huge world-wide push back this law is not being enforced. Moreover,
even members of Putin's own party are publicly proposing to "revise" the law.
That said, there are some street-gangs (aka skinheads) that are
vocally anti-gay.
But it is hardly unique to Russia.

* Moscow is quite safe provided you don't actively looking for trouble.
This is true for New York, London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona ...

* Finding balanced accounts about Russia in media is difficult, for
most media sources are strongly biased in anti-Russian or pro-Russian
ways depending on the source.

Please, feel free to contact me off-the-list for further discussion.

--Leo--