Christian fundamentalists form ferocious anti-gay mov't in the western U.S.

From Orcinus:

Casey Sanchez at the SPLC has disturbing report about the coalition building between West Coast fundamentalist churches -- particularly here in the Northwest -- and a Latvian-based group of far-right fundamentalists who explicitly encourage, and in fact help manifest, violent gay-bashing thuggery.

From Sanchez's report:

A growing and ferocious anti-gay movement in the Sacramento Valley is centered among Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking immigrants. Many of them are members of an international extremist anti-gay movement whose adherents call themselves the Watchmen on the Walls. In Latvia, the Watchmen are popular among Christian fundamentalists and ethnic Russians, and are known for presiding over anti-gay rallies where gays and lesbians are pelted with bags of excrement. In the Western U.S., the Watchmen have a following among Russian-speaking evangelicals from the former Soviet Union. Members are increasingly active in several cities long known as gay-friendly enclaves, including Sacramento, Seattle and Portland, Ore.

Additional information concentrating on anti-gay thuggery and Latvia here; information on Vlad Kusakin here.

Some people and organizations mentioned in the report relative to this brownshirted, "Christian" anti-gay thuggery movement:

Watchmen on the Walls (international organization)
Vlad Kusakin (US; the host of a Russian-language anti-gay radio show in Sacramento and the publisher of a Russian-language newspaper in Seattle)
Scott Lively (US; Christian Reconstructionist author)
Pastor Alexey Ledyaev (aka Aleksej Ledjajev; in Latvia primarily)
Wade Kusak (US; anti-gay host of a Russian-language radio show in Sacremento, California)
Chalcedon Foundation (Christian Reconstructionist organization)
Rev. Ken Hutcherson (US; active in Redmond, California and nationally)
Vadim Privedenyuk (US; runs an anti-gay church in Springfield, Mass)
Janis Smits (Latvian politician)
Igors Maslakovs (in Latvia)
Florin Ciuriuc (former director of the the Slavic Community Center in Sacramento)
Andrey Vusik (fled US for former USSR, wanted by the Sacramento police and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department)

Comments

[Joanne]

I think its a shame for people to gay bash. Even if I don't agree with it Christians are called to love everyone. You can love everyone without participating in the sin. Love the person hate the sin, so they've been saying, which is a good example.

http://allgaychristians.blogspot.com/

[Eric]

While an interesting article on Fundamentalism, I’m disgusted that SPLC stoops to playing into the current anti-immigrant bigotry that exists.

Violence against the gay and lesbian community is a serious issue that needs to be address (Note that SPLC suggests nothing in the form of a response to the problem). What does the fact that the perpetrators are immigrants have to do with how Fundamentalists continue to endanger and restrict the human rights of the LGBT community? SPLC is simply using the immigrant status of the perpetrators to sell their story to a largely white audience.

This type of sensationalism reminds me of the majority of articles on "Black Anti-Semitism" or "Black Homophobia" in the early 90s. These types or stories are usually thrown out as a message to the larger society..."look their prejudiced too and therefore our unwillingness to address white privilege is not really a problem."

On the tails of the SPLC article called "Blackout In L.A.," which accuses Latinos of engaging in "ethnic cleansing" of African Americans, I think that we are playing into sensationalism.

Sadly, I think in fifty years this article will be an example of just how far the level of anti-immigrant bashing has risen in the U.S. Disappointingly it appears that even our allies are no longer immune to it.

[Jared]

I don't think that the SPLC is simply playing into anti-immigrant hysteria. Homophobia is a real problem in Russia as well and just because ethnic Russians move to the US doesn't mean they leave their attitudes at the door. While such reports may sound alarmist, they are not. And as those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest know, gay bashings have recently picked up. Just because something is connected to members of an immigrant community does not make the accusations automatically false. This is a REAL problem for those of us who live here.

[Not Scared]

Don't come to Oregon watchmen. I'm not gay but one of a many straight men who have an army ready for you. Stay the fuck away.

[Gretchen]

A so-called Slavic "Christian" man MURDERED a gay man in Sacramento in 2007, and then skipped the country, like the bloody COWARD that he is. This nutcase is hiding somewhere in Russia, and his "wife" knows where he is, even though she lies to police and denies. Someone ought to tell her that her kids can be taken from her for harboring an international fugitive KILLER.