Russia's Anti-Gay Bill Author: LGBT Activists Deserve Violence

The author of Russia's now infamous and extremely controversial "homosexual propaganda" bill, which aims to silence the country's LGBT community, says that some LGBT activists are to blame for violent attacks against them, Russia's St. Petersburg Times reports.

The newspaper reports on an incident where Libertarian Party activist Dmitry Chizhevsky lost one of his eyes after an attack on an LGBT community center on Nov 3. Chizhevsky blames politicians, like Yelen Mizulina, Irina Yarovaya and Vitaly Milonov, the author of the anti-gay bill, for LGBT violence by inciting hatred towards the LGBT community.

But Milonov sees things differently and replied to Chizhevsky's accusations by saying LGBT organizations were responsible for the attack, claiming the incident may "have been an act of provocation to compromise anti-LGBT activists," the St. Petersburg Times writes. Milonov says some anti-gay activists are provoked by LGBT activists' "continuously eccentric escapades, rudeness and acts of provocation."

"Unfortunately, not everybody manages to stay calm, some behave inappropriately," Milonov told the Fontanka.ru website on Nov. 6, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "But to say that some of our activists went with pneumatic guns to a homosexual den... It's a great pity that the guy got it in the eye, but I think it was a planned act of provocation."

During the attack, several LGBT activists were pelted with stones and beaten but Milonvo claims the level of violence was exaggerated.

"I can't remember such aggression against these people," he said. "But when some idiot hops on the Field of Mars [the site of recent LGBT rights rallies] with a placard reading 'Sodom to every home,' he is asking to be punched. So it's absolutely wrong to think that any of our activists could have done this to Chizhevsky. The maximum that they did was delivering somebody a kick at a gay parade."

According to the newspaper, Milonov apparently supports violence against LGBT rights activists during public rallies.

"When a foreign agent openly offends my family, as a Russian man I deliver him a kick," he said. He later added that LGBT rights are the "rights of sick people and perverts" and called LGBT rights rallies "marches against normal society."

Doctors told Chizhevsky that he would not regain sight in his eye, which was damaged by a metal pallet from a pneumatic pistol when two masked men attacked the offices of LaSky AIDS-prevention group.

"I feel really sorry for the stupid guys who did this to me," Chizhevsky said. "I realize they are only tools. The blame for what happened to my eye lies not with them but with every politician who has supported and encouraged the homophobic hysteria of recent months. My disability is on the conscience of Milonov, Mizulina, Yarovaya and other such politicians.

"If you had treated citizens like human beings, if you had not stuffed the heads of these guys with your hatred, none of this would have happened," he added. "You are responsible not only for my injury but also for these fellows, who are facing serious prison terms and ruined lives. Using all legal means, I will be avenged on each of you. The truth is on my side, and sooner or later you will answer for everything."