Putin says gays
not helping Russia's population decline

At an annual press conference Thursday, Russian president Vladimir Putin answered questions from dozens of reporters on a variety of topics, including the ongoing controversy over Moscow's gay pride parade. Asked about Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov's decision to ban the parade, which he deemed "satanic," Putin said that one of Russia's major problems is demographics, a reference to Russia's declining population--suggesting that gay people aren't doing their part by procreating. But he added that he respects individual choice. The response drew laughter from the largely fawning Russian press. (AP)