Moscow mayor says golf course would deter gays

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov suggested Tuesday that building a golf course in a picturesque corner of the Russian capital would deter gays and unwanted picnickers from frequenting the area and harming the environment there. Luzhkov's comments came at a city government meeting during which officials discussed plans to develop part of northwestern Moscow along the city's main river and protect the area's waterside environment. He indicated he favored making a golf course part of the project. "In general, golf courses are organized protection of the environment," Luzhkov said during a short fragment of the meeting shown on state-run Rossiya television. "In this case there would be no barbecues, no picnics, no gays--nothing like that, because there would be a structure that would take responsibility for this facility." Luzhkov has been mayor of Moscow since 1992. The Russian capital is seeking to host the 2012 Olympics. (AP)