Chicago gay rights activist Andy Thayer home from Russia

There was a lot of news recently about lgbt activists in Russia, including Lt. Dan Choi, being arrested and mistreated by Moscow police during demonstrations there. One of those activists, Andy Thayer from Chicago – a founding member of the Gay Liberation Network – returns to tell the tale. From CBS Chicago: CHICAGO (CBS) — A Chicago gay-rights activist who was arrested in Russia by Moscow police during a pride demonstration last month is back home and talking about the experience. American Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network, was one of more than a dozen demonstrators who planned to march in the Russian capital. They never got the chance. Russian nationalists attacked them first, and then the demonstrators were dragged off by police. Thayer watched a video of the incident with CBS 2’s Mike Parker and called the actions by the mob and police “infuriating.” “A transgender activist was kicked four to five times on the pavement and another activist, a lesbian activist, was hospitalized for about four or five days,” Thayer said. Thayer said he was grabbed by a man with close-cropped hair and a camouflage outfit. He believes the man was one of the “neo-fascists” he said were attacking demonstrators. The arrests near Red Square came on May 28, shortly after the European Court of Human Rights criticized the Russian government for refusing to allow gay-pride demonstrations.]]>