Source:
BBCUS Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged Russia to respect human rights and the democratic process, as she ends her European tour.
She told Moscow students of her "great concern" at attacks on human rights defenders, saying people should be safe to challenge abuses of authority.
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Prior to the round-table discussion with students, Ms Clinton attended the unveiling of a statue of US poet Walt Whitman on the university's campus.
Whitman is often labelled the father of free verse, as well as being a prominent figure adopted by the gay pride movement.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8306294.stm
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/13/hillary-clinton-to-honour-gay-poet-walt-whitman-in-moscow/#US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will inaugurate a monument to gay poet Walt Whitman in Moscow tomorrow.
According to GayRussia.ru, she will be joined by Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has banned gay Pride marches and called homosexuality "satanic".
Whitman, who was born in Lancashire and died in 1892, is often labelled as gay or bisexual by biographers, although it is not clear if he ever had a relationship with a man. However, he is often linked with gay culture.
The monument is to be unveiled in the gardens of the Moscow State University, where around 30 activists, including Peter Tatchell, were arrested by police in May for attempting to stage a gay Pride march.