The head of the Russian Orthodox Church says that, although the church views homosexuality as a sin, homosexuality is a personal choice.

Patriarch Kirill says gays and lesbians must not be persecuted or discriminated against in any way, though the church still opposes same-sex marriages. (At Right: Patriarch Kirill in his religious vestments, apparently designed by a non gay man?)

The patriarch's statements, a breakthrough for the Russian church, were made during a meeting Wednesday with visiting Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.

Opposition to gay rights remains widespread in Russia, where homosexuality was decriminalized only in 1993.

Several high-profile Russian politicians have spoken against gay rights. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has described homosexuality as "satanic" and blamed homosexuals for spreading AIDS.

Note from Ron: When I took a tour group to the Soviet Union in the 1980s, I specifically asked our male tour guide about gay people in Russia. His answer was that there were no gay people in his country. Apparently, gay people appeared out of thin air when communism fell.