Dear Mr. Putin,
I must say you’re a confusing man. I get that you’re a tough guy. But as the Russian president, you’re also tough to understand!
I kind of understood when you pushed to ban all adoptions of Russians by US citizens. Of course, it was also a bit of cutting your nose off to spite your face. It isn’t exactly like there is a mad rush from . . . well, anywhere to adopt Russian children. Even your own citizens don’t seem too interested in helping out the children of their homeland.
Americans have adopted 60,000 children from Russia in the last 2 decades, and since you have an estimated 650,000 children waiting for permanent homes, 130,000 of them awaiting adoption, it doesn’t seem like you thought this one all the way through.
I get feeling stung and wanting to taste the sweet nectar of revenge, but dude, you’re hurting kids.
When you decided to ban gay Pride events, I gave you some latitude. I rolled my eyes at the ignorance and figured “They’ll come around.” Ah, but you still had something to prove! Silly me.
Your latest move has both saddened and angered me, however.
I come from a long line of Jews who are proud of their Russian heritage. Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to visit the land of my ancestors. I don’t remember a lot from my traumatic childhood, but I do remember sitting entranced as my grandfather told stories of their visit to the USSR. When the Berlin Wall came down, and Mr. Gorbachev announced the end of communist rule in Russia, I cried.
I cried for my people. Even though I have no current Russian ties, I have always felt connected to Russia through blood. I spent the next several years watching earnestly as the USSR became the Commonwealth of Independent States.
What a day for rejoicing!
And then you just turned around and bitch slapped me.
I can respect that equality isn’t something that Russia seems ready for just yet. I don’t agree with it, but I can respect that some cultures take longer to make social change. Hell, my native USA is still working on it!
But to in effect ban gays? You do realize this is the 21st century, right? Russia is now almost on par with undeveloped countries such as Uganda. Beautiful place, Uganda, but shouldn’t a modern, developed nation, one of the super powers of the world, be a tiny bit more advanced in human rights?
They’re still killing “witches” for causing people to be sick in Uganda. Not to mention the ritual sacrifice of children.
You really feel Russia should compare with that?
You may wonder how this affects a US citizen of Russian heritage who has no overt connection to you, but you have destroyed a piece of my dreams. You have taken a lifelong dream that I was so incredibly near fulfilling and effectively defecated all over it.
Because while I am oh so many things, I am also a gay man. While I like to consider myself a bit on the butch side, I also know my more effeminate face is sometimes glaringly obvious. I can “queen it up” with the best of them.
But I’m also the single parent of a child.
This new ban means I cannot enter your country, after spending an exorbitant amount of money on getting a visa and going through a process that at the best of times is almost akin to torture.
Why?
Because I’m a gay man traveling with my child. This insane ban of yours makes it illegal for me to indicate in any way that it is perfectly natural for me, an occasionally flaming homo, to have a child. For us to be family. Just as much a family as a heterosexual parent and child. And in some ways, I’ll say my gay single parenting job kicks ass all over your preferred hetero arrangement any day.
But that’s another argument for another day.
Entering my ancestral homeland will soon be illegal for me. As soon as I step foot in your country with my child, I have violated the law and can be deported, fined, and/or imprisoned.
Sir, your country makes $14 billion a year from tourism. While some of my queer brothers and sisters will still cross your borders, you have eliminated a large number of potential tourists. Many of our straight allies will also choose to skip your country because of the asinine law.
From what I’ve read, you could still use the income.
And you will still not have accomplished your apparent dream. You can’t stamp out homosexuality, Mr. Putin. Not even from within your own borders. People have been trying for thousands of years to tell us that we should not exist.
Yet, we still do.
While the rest of the world moves forward in equality, you continue to try to move a once great and proud country further into the recesses of the Dark Ages.
Shame on you! For what you’re doing to your country, and to your people.
But I will thank you for one thing:
For once, I’m proud to be gay.
The post A letter to the Russian president appeared first on Talon Unplugged!.