MOSCOW, May 31 - RAPSI. The Moscow Tverskoy District Court will hear on June 18 a complaint filed by the organizers of a gay parade in Moscow against the city's ban on such meetings and rallies, Polina Kleimyonova, the court's spokeswoman, told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

The parade was scheduled for May 26-27.

The organizers previously asked the Moscow government to allow the parade in the capital on May 26-27. They expected to gather nearly 1,000 people to take part in the parade and up to 300 people to participate in several rallies.

The authorities ruled against the parade, stating that the public reacts negatively to gay rallies.

"People believe any sex-related mass protests in public places are provocative in their nature, harm children and teenagers and humiliate human dignity," the city authorities said.

The organizers said the authorities are breaking the law and their decision contradicts the Strasbourg court's judgment in the Alekseyev vs. Russia case, which ruled that bans on gay parades in Moscow are illegal.