Tag: Russia

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Russian President Putin on This Week with George Stephanopoulos

Via Mediaite:

In the second segment of George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ABC host pressed Putin on the controversy over Russia’s heightened anti-LGBT laws, which have led to calls for a boycott of the Sochi Olympics.

Putin argued that the laws were not repressive, and that the United States had no room in which to criticize on gay rights, given its own statutes.  Said Putin:

“Acts of protest and acts of propaganda are somewhat different things. They are close, but if we were to look at them from the legal perspective, then protesting a law does not amount to propaganda of sexuality or sexual abuse of children. That’s one.

“Two is that I’d like to ask our colleagues, my colleagues and friends, that as they try to criticize us, they would do well to set their own house in order first. I did say, after all, and this is public knowledge, that in some of the states in the U.S., homosexuality remains a felony.

Stephanopolous pointed out that “the Supreme Court has struck those laws down.”

Watch the interview above from ABC News.

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Mary Matalin on This Week with George Stephanopoulos

GOP strategist Mary Matalin makes this odd comment on This Week With George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning regarding Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBT controversy saying it’s no biggie because Matalin’s gay friends all think Putin’s hot.

“Can I just say, I’m so sick of sports and politics,” Matalin said. “All of my gay friends think he looks so buff when he is shirtless. Why is he even talking about this?”

To be honest, I don’t know what on earth she means.  What a strange comment…

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Anti-gay vigilante Maxim Martsinkevich arrested in Cuba

Anti-gay vigilante Maxim Martsinkevich

Maxim Martsinkevich, Russian anti-gay vigilante and leader of the homophobic group “Occupy Paedophilia”, was arrested in Cuba today.

From Russian news agency RIA Novosti:

Russia was informed by Cuban police of the arrest of Maxim Martsinkevich through Interpol, the Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement.

More widely known under his nickname of Tesak, or machete, Martsinkevich was arrested in absentia by a Russian court last month on extremism charges.

Martsinkevich said during a January 8 interview that the criminal charges against him were orchestrated by Russia’s “pedo-lobby,” and that he did not intend to return to Russia, according to Russian tabloid Life News that has close links to the security services.

The details of Martsinkevich’s extradition were currently being finalized, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement Saturday.

In a January 9 post on his website, Martsinkevich wrote that he had flown to Cuba from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, via the German city of Frankfurt.

In 2011, Martsinkevich founded the Occupy Pedophile vigilante group, which lured men to abusive meetings with false promises of sex with minors. The encounters were recorded and then posted online. The group was also reported to target gay men, who were subjected to similar abusive treatment.

I shared a CNN report earlier today that features many of Martsinkevich’s attacks on gays in Russia.

(h/t JMG)

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CNN reports on Russian vigilantes who hunt down and torture gays

CNN’s Phil Black reports on the Russian vigilantes who ambush gay men, humiliate them, torture them and then post videos of the activities online.

Remember, so-called Christian activists here in the US, like Trestin Meacham in Utah, would tell you gays and lesbians aren’t really bullied or targeted; that these things don’t happen. 

According to Trestin’s Facebook page, to report that the bullying of gays is “some kind of social trend is ridiculousness” and a “myth.”

Watch the CNN report below:

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Russian President Putin on gays at the Sochi Olympics: “Leave children alone please”

President Putin of Russia says gay Olympians have nothing to fear when attending the Sochi Olympics as long as they leave children alone.

“We don’t have a ban on non-traditional sexual relations between people,” Putin told a group of volunteers who will be working at the Games.

“We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia,” Putin said in televised comments from host city Sochi, with three weeks to go until the event.

“We don’t ban anything and we won’t arrest anyone,” he said. “Therefore you can feel calm, relaxed. But leave children alone please.”

Ironically, uniforms for volunteers for the Games have been designed with a rainbow theme. When asked by a volunteer if the rainbow might breach the “gay propaganda” law, Putin responded by saying he didn’t design the uniforms.

(source)

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Russian President dissolves news agency RIA Novosti

President Vladimir Putin has abolished the state-run news agency RIA Novosti in a reorganization, that agency reports:

News agency RIA Novosti and the state-owned Voice of Russia radio will be scrapped and absorbed into a new media conglomerate called Rossiya Segodnya, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The move is the latest in a series of shifts in Russia’s news landscape, which appear to point toward a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector.

In a separate decree published Monday, the Kremlin appointed Dmitry Kiselyov, a prominent Russian television presenter and media manager recently embroiled in a scandal over anti-gay remarks, to head Rossiya Segodnya.

RIA had, in the past, run fairly balanced reporting on LGBT issues.  Clearly, that had to be stopped.

It is important to point out that newly-named head of the Rosiya Segodnya, Kiselyov,  made remarks saying gay-bashing victims deserved their fate back in August.

Said Kiselyov, who received applause for his remarks:

“I think that just imposing fines on gays for homosexual propaganda among teenagers is not enough. They should be banned from donating blood, sperm. And their hearts, in case of the automobile accident, should be buried in the ground or burned as unsuitable for the continuation of life.”
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Russia: Elton John dedicates concert to memory of murdered gay man

Tonight in Russia, Elton John took to the concert stage to share his music and his sentiments on the anti-gay legislation currently demonizing gays and lesbians there.

“You took me to your hearts all these years ago and you’ve always welcomed me with warmth and open arms any time I’ve visited. You have always embraced me and you have never judged me. So I am deeply saddened and shocked over the current legislation that is now in place against the LGBT community here in Russia. In my opinion, it is inhumane and it is isolating. People have demanded that because of this legislation, I must not come here to Russia. But many, many more people asked me to come and I listened to them. I love coming here.

“I want to show them and the world that I care and that I don’t believe in isolating people. Music is a very powerful thing. It brings people together irrespective of their age, their race, their sexuality, or their religion. It does not discriminate. Look around you tonight. You see men, women, young and old, gay and straight. Thousands of Russian people enjoying the music. We’re all here together in harmony and harmony is what makes a happy family and a strong society.

“The spirit we share tonight is what builds a future of equality, love and compassion for my children and for your children. Please don’t leave it behind when you leave tonight. Each and every one of you please, keep this spirit in your life and in your heart. I wish you love and peace and health and happiness. And this show is dedicated to the memory of Vladislav Tornovoi.”

Earlier this year, 23 year-old Vladislav Tornovoi was murdered in Volgograd after coming out to drinking companions. His companions mutilated his genitals with a beer bottle and then set his body on fire.

(via JMG)

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Madonna joins HRC to fight anti-gay Russian “campaign of hate”

http://shop.hrc.org/love-conquers-hate-collection/love-conquers-hate-russian-t-shirt.html?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Madonna-body&utm_campaign=SUPPORTRUSSIA
Click image for more info to support Love Conquers Hate

Madonna LGBT equality Madonna has graciously joined thousands of others from around the world to be part of our #LoveConquersHate campaign – standing in solidarity with LGBT people in Russia. Her inspiring note is below.

At this dangerous moment in Russian history, we as advocates have a responsibility to speak up and take our hopeful message global. That’s why I’m joining HRC’s Love Conquers Hate campaign, in hopes that more and more fair-minded people around the world will stand up and fight against the Russian government’s campaign of hate.

Right now, you can send that message directly to the Russian people and provide much-needed support to LGBT advocates in Russia by purchasing the Russian-language Love Conquers Hate t-shirt. And once you have your t-shirt, share a picture of yourself wearing it on social media using #LoveConquersHate. With your help, we can make this simple message go global.

Click here for more info on the campaign from Madonna and the HRC.

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Gay cruise line to skip Russia due to anti-gay legislation and policy

Graphic via Memeographs

Atlantis Cruise Line’s Rich Campbell tells the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News that the line’s Baltic itinerary will skip it’s St. Petersberg, Russia port of call because the hostile anti-gay attitude of the current Putin regime has made Russia an unacceptable destination for a gay cruise.

Great job there, Putin.  Thousands of tourist dollars turned away from your economy!  Way to go!