**image1***A split over homosexuality has emerged at the highest levels of politics in one of Europe's most homophobic cities. The deputy mayor of Moscow has promised to change the homophobic image of the city in the eyes of foreigners, in direct contradiction with the Mayor who has made it clear that he will keep banning gay pride marches. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin justified his position over the issue of morality: “These are issues of morality. If the attitude of the society is sharply negative to such things then we can not support such marches”. But Andrey Sharonov, the deputy Mayor in charge of the Economic Policy has now expressed a different opinion. In an interview with Russian TV channel RBC, Sharonov said that “the lack of tolerance in the European understanding, including national and sexual minorities, is not confined to Moscow, but the whole country... In order to make the country more attractive to investors, of course, we will think how to change this image,” he promised. Moscow Pride chief organiser Nikolai Alekseev says that until Moscow allows gay rights rallies and gay organisations to register it will remain a homophobic city. “The bad publicity it gets every year is deserved,” he suggested. “The images that the media relay every year of us being arrested and beaten simply highlight what is the policy of the government towards LGBT people,” he added.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 25th June 2011 - 12:26pm