Homophobic Mayor popularizes Russia Gay Campaign

Russian gay rights campaigners are toasting Moscow's homophobic mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, after he ordered the banning and violent suppression of last Saturday's Slavic gay pride parade in the Russian capital – just hours before the Eurovision song contest was staged in the city.

"Luzhkov has done more than anyone to publicise gay rights in Russia," beamed Nikolai Alekseev, the gay parade organiser.