Tag Archives: Russia

(Via Buzzfeed)

Earlier this week Madonna vowed to break St. Petersburg’s new “don’t say gay” law during her coming concert. Today the bill’s author declared that he will be at the venue and will charge Madonna, should she break the new law against promoting homosexuality. The law, which took effect March 11, in part prohibits “the propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among …

“I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed. I’m a freedom fighter. I don’t run away from adversity. I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity.”- Madonna, announcing that she will break the new law against “promoting homosexuality” during her …

In light of the widening campaign to repress LGBT people across Russia, Canada’s Foreign Minister has warned gay citizens to be wary of travel there. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has told the House of Commons he is deeply concerned by the legislation, which he says runs counter to core Canadian values of freedom of speech, human rights and the …

Saying it would endanger local children and lead to the destruction of the federation, a Russian judge has banned the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics from creating a Pride House for gay and gay-friendly athletes. “The aims of the organization contradict the basics of public morality and the policy of the state in the area of family motherhood and childhood protection,’ …

Emboldened by this week’s action in St. Petersburg, the Russian Orthodox Church has issued a call to extend that city’s ban on “homosexualist propaganda” to the entire nation. The anti-gay Life Site News reports: “The law passed in St. Petersburg will help protect children from information manipulations by minorities promoting sodomy,” said Dimitri Pershin, a Russian Orthodox priest and expert …

St. Petersburg’s LGBT group has issued a statement in response to this weekend’s signing of the bill to outlaw the “promotion of homosexuality.” Authors of the law maintain that it is designed to “protect children from information that can harm their physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual development”. The term “propaganda” is defined as any uncontrolled and targeted distribution of information …

OMG! Finally! THIS is Eurovision. Party For Everybody!

It’s all right there in the Holy Babble.

Photojournalist Gerd Ludwig has documented the present state of the world’s most infamous nuclear power plant and the town that once surrounded it. Lots more fascinating (and grim) photos at the link, courtesy of the Boston Globe’s always compelling Big Picture feature.

The activist group All Out responds to yesterday’s banning of the “promotion” of homosexuality by St. Petersburg. According to news reports, emboldened anti-gay forces are working to install a nationwide version of the ban.(Tipped by JMG reader Vivian)

LGBT rights activists gathered around the globe outside of Russian consulates yesterday in protest of the ban on homosexual “promotion” in St. Petersburg, which was signed into law today. Head to AllOut’s Facebook page for photos from Paris, Berlin, Rio, New York and elsewhere.

The government of St. Petersburg, Russia today enacted a broad ban on any action that could be seen as “promoting” homosexuality. The new law also specifically links pedophilia to homosexuality. The law, passed in the third and final reading, imposes fines of up to $16,000 on individuals and up to $160,000 on legal entities for the promotion of homosexual, lesbian, …

How’s that fallout bunker coming? Via Reuters: Russia would regard any military intervention linked to Iran’s nuclear programme as a threat to its own security, Moscow’s departing ambassador to NATO warned on Friday. “Iran is our neighbour,” Dmitry Rogozin told reporters in Brussels. “And if Iran is involved in any military action, it’s a direct threat to our security.” Rogozin …

As massive protests sweep Russia, former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev says that Prime Minister Vladamir Putin should resign. Gorbachev, 80, on Dec. 24 said Putin, 59, had been in power for too long after two terms as president and one as prime minister. “There shouldn’t be a monopoly of power, we don’t need any czars,” he told Ekho Moskvy …

Remember when I mentioned that former Citigroup CEO Sanford Weill was selling his apartment for $88M? He found a taker. Now comes news that Ekaterina Rybolovleva, the 22-year-old daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitriy Rybolovlev, is buying the condominium. Rybolovleva is currently studying at an undisclosed U.S. university and plans to stay in the apartment when visiting New York. According to …

The Russian oblast of Kostroma is considering legislation banning the “promotion of homosexuality.” Local activists say such laws effectively outlaw gay pride parades, gay publications, and gay websites. The amendments proposed by the the Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Health are to outlaw any action aimed to promote pedophilia, homosexuality (sodomy and lesbianism), bisexuality, transsexuality to minors. The parliament …

UPDATE: Coming Out St. Petersburg reports. Today deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg decided to postpone the hearing of the infamous anti-gay bill for the second time. The bill, banning so-called propaganda of “sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors”, introduced by Putin and Medvedev’s United Russia party at the beginning of November, is an attempt …