Moscow Pride: Police Attack Genderqueer Activist Anna Komarova – First Interview

[Shana A]

Moscow Pride: Police Attack Genderqueer Activist Anna Komarova – First Interview

05/30/2011, Melanie Nathan,  4.03 PM (PST)

http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/moscow-pride-police-attack-genderqueer-activist-anna-komarova-first-interview/

Moscow: One of the most courageous voices of GayRussia, a group that organizes direct LGBTQI action, is Anna Komarova.   Anna, a genderqueer activist was one of the eighteen LGBTQI rights protesters arrested, as they tried to stage the banned Moscow Gay Pride parade on Saturday.  All were roughly manhandled by the police and Anna Komarova was arrested together with 14 other Russian gay activists, after he was forced to the ground by police and kicked in the head.

Three arrested were foreigners including international gay rights supporters, Andy Thayer and Lt. Dan Choi from the U.S., and Louis-Georges Tin from France.

I interviewed Anna Sunday after I heard of his beating and he provided me with this exclusive interview.

[spacial]

These brave people struggling for their most fundimental rights and those of others, to exist deserve the support of all. It seems likely that some, previously oppressed groups, which were happy to take support from among our number, may now be finding excuses to turn their heads.

However bad this is, it may be a silly mistake to compare degrees of suffering. All suffering and oppression is equally unacceptable. There are no degrees of tolerable oppression.