Moscow Bans Parade To Honor Conchita

Moscow authorities have banned a parade that would have honored Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst.

Although homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1990s, animosity toward gays remains strong in Russia. The county last year passed a law banning the dissemination to minors of so-called "gay propaganda" and routinely rejects applications to hold gay rights demonstrations. Alexei Maiorov, head of Moscow's security department, was quoted by the Interfax news agency Thursday as saying the Wurst parade was rejected because of concerns it would provoke clashes between gays and their opponents.

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