Rainbow Flag Paraded in Minsk for First Time

UK Gay News
Belarus

MINSK, April 26, 2008 – When Sergey Androsenko, the 19 year-old leader of the Gay Youth Association in Belarus, paraded the gay “Rainbow Flag” through the streets of Minsk this afternoon, a little piece of LGBT history was made.

It was the very first time that the flag had been seen on a political event in Belarus [video of the march at end of article].

Gay men and women joined the rally and march, staged to mark the 22nd anniversary of the nuclear power station accident at Chernobyl in neighbouring Ukraine.

With the promise of protection from the rest of the participants, the young Mr. Androsenko raised the Rainbow Flag and paraded it on the 2-mile march to a church built to commemorate Chernobyl victims at the intersection between Arlowskaya and Karastayanavay Streets.

He was accompanied by other gays – all were totally surrounded by their “protectors”.

The march was not on the street itself, but along the sidewalks, taking more than two hours to reach its destination.