Moscow to turn into Europe’s gay capital for Eurovision 2009

Moscow’s hosting of Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 will attract thousands of homosexual individuals to Russia from all over Europe.

Photo: Moscow to turn into Europe’s gay capital for Eurovision 2009

“Now that Prime Minister Putin said that Eurovision 2009 would be held in Moscow, and not St. Petersburg, I am full of compassion to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. The contest is strongly connected with gay and lesbian organizations of Europe. These organizations hold certain actions every year, within the scope of Eurovision,” a well-known Russian journalist Arthur Gasparyan told RIA Novosti.

Spokespeople for Moscow-based organization defending the rights of homosexual individuals already said that they were going to hold a gay pride parade in Moscow within the scope of Eurovision.

“I wonder how Mr. Luzhkov is going to react to this. If he orders the Moscow police to disperse the gay parade, Europe will make a laughing-stock of him. I believe he will have to make a very difficult choice,” the journalist said.

Representative of Russian sexual minorities have tried to hold a gay pride parade in Moscow on several occasions already. However, Moscow authorities vehemently refuse to authorize the event. The most recent incident took place on June 1 of this year.

Gasparyan also pointed out several other downsides of Eurovision 2009 in Moscow.

“This is not the arrival of a crowd of British football fans in Moscow for a couple of days. The contest will last for at least two weeks. I am not sure how 43 European delegations will travel through Moscow’s traffic jams either,” the journalist said.

He recollected the Olympic Games of 1980 in Moscow, when many Muscovites were ordered to leave the city for the time of the Games. “It is not ruled out that the Moscow authorities will do something ridiculous again,” he said.

To crown it all, the journalist said that Moscow had no appropriate venue, where Eurovision 2009 could be held. “Any of possible variants – Olimpiysky or Luzhniki stadiums – should be reconstructed and repaired immediately,” Arthur Gasparyan said. “If the venues are left the way they are now, it will be the worst Eurovision in history,” the journalist said.

The press secretary of Moscow mayor, Sergei Tsoi, stated that Moscow was prepared to host Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

“We can provide participants and guests of the contest with the required level of comfort and security,” the official said.

The official said that Moscow has the required potential for large-scale events. The Champions League final took place in Moscow without any incident, the official added.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decided to hold Eurovision 2009 Song Contest in Moscow. The final concert will take place on May 16, 2009. Forty-three delegations will participate in the contest, whereas the amount of viewers will exceed 100 million people.