'Our mere existence is illegal.' As Mosw toughens anti-gay law, LGBTQ Rsians fear for the future | CNN

Contents:

• 'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY
• THE 5 BEST MOSW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MOSW
• LGBT ACTIVISTS ARRTED MOSW AFTER MANDG VTIGATN OF ALLEGED TORTURE OF GAY MEN CHECHNYA
• RSIAN NSTUTN CHANGE ENDS HOP FOR GAY MARRIAGE
• ‘OUR MERE EXISTENCE IS ILLEGAL.’ AS MOSW TOUGHENS ANTI-GAY LAW, LGBTQ RSIANS FEAR FOR THE FUTURE
• SECRECY, DARK ROOMS, AND PATRTIC DRAG QUEENS: A GAY NIGHT OUT MOSW
• RSIAN LGBTQ ACTIVIST IS KILLED AFTER BEG LISTED ON GAY-HUNTG WEBSE
• MEET ANTON KRASOVSKY, THE GAY MAN RUNNG FOR MAYOR OF MOSWBRAVEANTON KRASOVSKY STANDS ALONE: THE ONLY OUT LGBTQ PERSON WILLG TO STAND FOR ELECTN RSIA. THAT’S IF THE THORI ALLOW HIM TO N FOR MAYOR OF MOSW THIS SEPTEMBER.ANNA NEMTSOVAUPDATED JUN. 29, 2018 12:01PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 27, 2018 4:45AM EDT VALERY SHARIFUL/GETTYMOSCOW—ANTON KRASOVSKY’S MOUTH IS FULL OF SWEAR WORDS. HE IS ANGRY WH PRETTY MUCH EVERY LIAR AND PROPAGANDIST MOSW, THE CY HE LOV AND WANTS TO CHANGE. AT TIM SEEMS THAT HIS URAGE WOULD DISAPPEAR THE MOMENT HE STOPS CURSG. AND URAGE IS WHAT HE NEEDS MOST RIGHT NOW, AS KRASOVSKY IS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY PERSON THE UNTRY OF RSIA—WH A POPULATN OF MORE THAN 140 LN—WHO DAR TO PETE THE KREML-NTROLLED ELECTN PROCS.THE MAJORY OF RSIAN POLICIANS AND BURECRATS AGREE THAT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE ABNORMAL. JT THE IA OF BEG ONE SGLE WARRR THE POLIL FIELD SOAKED HATE AND THRIVG HOMOPHOBIA WOULD SRE MANY AWAY OM THE ARENA. LAST MONTH, SPEAKG ON PENNT RAD STATN ECHO OF MOSW, KRASOVSKY REVEALED THE NEWS: SEPTEMBER HE WOULD N FOR MAYORAL ELECTN MOSW, IF THE THORI ALLOW HIM TO. (HE IS REGISTERED AS A NDIDATE BUT TO ACTUALLY TAKE PART THE ELECTN HE WILL HAVE TO LLECT SIGNATUR OF 110 MUNICIPAL PUTI BEFORE JULY 3.) “I ALMOST PISSED MY PANTS WHEN I CID TO N FOR MOSW MAYOR,” KRASOVSKY ADMTED TO THE DAILY BEAST A RECENT S-DOWN TERVIEW ONE OF MOSW’S HIP FFEE SHOPS, COFFEEMANIA. HERE, MOSW’S OLD TOWN KAI GOROD, MANY REGNIZED KRASOVSKY’S FACE.FIVE YEARS AGO, JUNE, 2013, 436 RSIAN MPS VOTED FAVOR OF A NEW BILL TO BAN “PROPAGANDA OF NON-TRADNAL SEXUAL RELATNS” AMONG MORS. THE BILL FORBA BOTH DIVIDUALS AND MEDIA GROUPS TO DISTRIBUTE LERATURE OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS ABOUT GAY RIGHTS. MANY LGBTQ FAI FLED THE UNTRY FEAR OF THE STATE TAKG THEIR CHILDREN AWAY OM THEM.SCE THEN, PRINT PUT HAS BEEN CRICIZED FOR NOT DOG ENOUGH TO HELP THE GAY MEN KILLED AND PERSECUTED A VIC CRACKDOWN CHECHNYA. THE NOTED BRISH LGBT ACTIVIST PETER TATCHELL PROTTED PRECISELY THIS AT THE BEGNG OF THE WORLD CUP, WHERE THE HOMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-LGBT POLICS OF RSIA HAS AGA E UNR THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT.ABOUT WHY HE MOUNTED THE PROTT, TATCHELL TOLD THE DAILY BEAST AT THE TIME, “IT’S TREMENDOLY IMPORTANT THAT PRINT PUT DON’T SRE AN UNCHALLENGED PUBLIC RELATNS UP WH THE WORLD CUP. HE NEEDS TO BE LLED OUT OVER THE PERSECUTN OF LGBT+ PEOPLE, HIS SUPPRSN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF RSIAN CIZENS, AND HIS WAR CRIM SYRIA.”THE DAILY BEAST ASKED KRASOVSKY WHY HE HAD GONE TO POLICS, WHEN MANY RSIAN GAY MEN AND WOMEN WERE FLEEG THE UNTRY. “BEE EVERYTHG SUCKS HERE,” KRASOVSKY SAID. HE WAS NVCED THAT, EVEN IF THE KREML DID NOT ALLOW HIS PARTICIPATN THE ELECTN, THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE EFUL FOR HIS POLIL REER.IN THE PAST FEW YEARS KRASOVSKY HAS MANAGED ELECTN MPAIGNS FOR TWO OPPOSN NDIDAT, BILLNAIRE MIKHAIL PROKHOROV’S AND A POP SOCIALE KSENIA SOBCHAK.THE IA OF RIDG A BLACK R OR SHAKG HANDS WH PRINT PUT’S IENDS SOUND RATHER HUMORO TO THE NEW NDIDATE KRASOVSKY, A FORMER RSIAN VOGUE MAGAZE RRPONNT. “SOMEBODY LIKE CHECHEN LEAR RAMZAN KADYROV WOULD NOT SHAKE MY HAND; BUT IF HE WANTS TO SHAKE A HAND OF GAY, I WILL SHAKE HIS HAND BACK.”IN RSIA OFFICIALS ARE NOT SHY ABOUT THEIR HOMOPHOBIC VIEWS. THERE IS A SIGN ON THE DOOR TO THE OFFICE OF MP VALY MILONOV, AT STATE DUMA, THE LOWER HOE OF RSIAN PARLIAMENT: “BANNED ENTRY FOR SODOM.” MILONOV IS ONE OF MASTERMDS BEHD THE ANTI-GAY “PROPAGANDA” BILL— 2016 HE CLAIMED THAT GAY PEOPLE “RAPE KIDS.”FOR YEARS, RSIA'S SMALL MUNY OF LGBTQ ACTIVISTS HAVE ENDURED HARASSMENT OM VLENT NATNALISTS AND POLICE. MOST RSIAN GAY PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN UP THE STGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS—THEY EHER PLAN TO PE OR PREFER TO LIVE QUIETLY THEIR SMALL CIRCL.WHEN MANY OF HIS IENDS IMMIGRATED, KRASOVSKY PREFERRED TO STAY RSIA, ALTHOUGH WH HIS LONG EXPERIENCE OF WORKG AS A MAGAZE WRER AND A TV PRENTER HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FD A GOOD PLACE FOR HIMSELF NEW YORK OR ANY EUROPEAN PAL. THERE HAVE BEEN WORSE TIM HIS LIFE, HE SAID, WHICH LEFT HIM AMONG VERY FEW SURVIVORS. “I THK ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF MY IENDS OM MOSW BOHEMIA CIRCL HAVE KILLED THEMSELV BY ALHOL AND DGS AND THE RT HAVE BUILT THEMSELV TO THE CURRENT STATE SYSTEM. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I DID NOT DRK MYSELF TO ATH,” HE ADMTED TO THE DAILY BEAST.THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME KRASOVSKY HAS SHOWN HIS URAGE RSIA. DURG HIS G OUT ON THE INTER KONTR TV 2013 KRASOVSKY SAID: “I AM GAY BUT I AM JT AS HUMAN AS PUT.” LAST YEAR, AN TERVIEW PUBLISHED ON FACEBOOK, KRASOVSKY ADMTED THAT HE HAD BEEN LIVG WH HIV SCE 2011. AS A VOLUNTEER AND ACTIVIST, KRASOVSKY AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN PHG THORI FOR TAKG MEASUR, LEGALIZG METHADONE TREATMENT, FOR FIGHTG HIV/AIDS EPIMIC RSIA.ALTHOUGH THE KREML HAS SANCTNED HOMOPHOBIA THROUGHOUT THE UNTRY, KRASOVSKY SISTS THAT ORDARY PEOPLE DO NOT HATE LGBTQ PEOPLE. “IT IS AN ILLN THAT RSIA IS A HOMOPHOBIC UNTRY BY S NATURE,” KRASOVSKY SISTED TO THE DAILY BEAST. HE SOUND IRRATED, WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT STEREOTYP CREATED BY MEDIA. “MY HOMOSEXUALY HAS NEVER HELPED ME BUT HAS NEVER BEEN THE WAY OF MY REER GOALS. IF PEOPLE ARE NSTANTLY TOLD THAT QUEERS ARE BASTARDS, AND TO BEAT THEM BEE ALL THEY WANT IS TO WALK THE STREETS NAKED, SOME GO AND DO BEAT UP LGBT PEOPLE.”DURG THE PAST MONTH KRASOVSKY HAS BEEN HOLDG DAILY PUBLIC MEETGS WH HIS ELECTORATE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OF MOSW. “PEOPLE DO NOT RE IF YOU ARE HOMOSEXUAL OR NOT, NOR IS ANYBODY TERTED YOUR HIV OR ANY OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS; PEOPLE WANT TO TALK WH ME ABOUT THE CY MOLISHG HO THEIR DISTRICT, OF MUNAL SERVIC FAILG, AND OF SOME ILLEGAL NSTCTN S OR SCHOOLS CLOSG DOWN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.” WHEN KRASOVSKY WAS YOUNG HIS FAY LIVED TY ROOMS AND MUNAL APARTMENTS FOR MOST OF HIS CHILDHOOD. HE WAS BORN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF MOSW THE PROVCIAL TOWN OF PODOLSK (WHICH HAS A POPULATN OF 302,831) WHERE KRASOVSKY WENT TO SCHOOL. HE NTUED HIS STUDI UKRAE, THE TOWN OF RIVNE, WHERE HIS ENGEER FATHER WORKED AT RIVNE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. “WHEN I TURNED 14, I MOVED TO MOSW AND DISVERED THE LIFE OF UNRGROUND BOHEMIA—MANY OF MY IENDS WERE G E AT THE TIME.”DURG THE PERTROIKA YEARS THE LATE 1980 KRASOVSKY BELONGED TO UNTERCULTURE CIRCL OF SOVIET HIPSTERS, LLG THEMSELV “STILYAGI.” “WE WERE ALL LISTENG TO ELVIS PRLEY, WENT TO VIKTOR TSOI’S NCERTS. I DRSED UP SEND HAND CLOTH OM THSKY MARKET. I HAD SOME HELLISH WHE JACKET AT SOME POT. LOOK, I WAS NEVER RICH, I NEVER HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY EXPENSIVE CLOTH.”KRASOVSKY’S IENDS MET ON THURSDAYS AT AN UNRGROUND CLUB LLED MOLOKO. KRASOVSKY STUDIED MAXIM GORKY LERATURE INSTUTE, THE TRAG GROUND FOR RSIAN POETS. HIS PANY OF HIP LOOKG YOUTH MGLED WH A QUEEN OF SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET ROCK AND ROLL, ZHANNA AGUZAROVA. IF, AS HE SAYS, SOME OF KRASOVSKY’S IENDS ED THEMSELV BY DGS, OTHERS TURNED TO VLADIMIR PUT FANS. KRASOVSKY PATH WAS DIFFERENT. “I AM STILL HAPPY THAT CHANG ME TO MY UNTRY; MY FAY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY DRAMATIC FANCIAL LOSS, WE WERE NEVER HUNGRY DURG THE PERD THAT SOME SCRIBE AS THE ‘BLOODY LIBERAL REGIME’—ANY CHANG ARE ALWAYS GOOD.”RUNNG FOR MOSW MAYOR, KRASOVSKY SE HIS ROLE, AS A NDIDATE, TO FIGHT FOR EQUALY FOR ALL. “OF ALL POLICIANS I PREFER OBAMA, I AM SOCIAL MOCRAT BY MY POLIL VIEWS, I WANT TO TAKE PART THE ELECTN TO SHOW THE CURRENT POLIL ELE HOW TO FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EEDOM.” ANNA NEMTSOVA
• HOW US EVANGELILS HELPED CREATE RSIA’S ANTI-GAY MOVEMENT

'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY

We ll on the Rsian thori to cease targetg the largt and most proment LGBTI rights group Rsia and foster a normal workg environment for activists for the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, tersex and transgenr people the untry. Usg rogatory and offensive language towards the LGBTI muny, a program by the ernmental broadster Vti lled the Rsian LGBT Network a “web of gay-propaganda, ” suggtg that the Network “feeble-md youth” to reach s “propaganda” goals.

THE 5 BEST MOSW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MOSW

We urge Rsian thori to put an end to their stctive mpaign aga leadg LGBTI rights activists the untry, repeal the “gay propaganda” law and the “foreign agents” legislatn, and enable LGBTI rights and all human rights groups, to do their work unhred.

LGBT ACTIVISTS ARRTED MOSW AFTER MANDG VTIGATN OF ALLEGED TORTURE OF GAY MEN CHECHNYA

The European Court of Human Rights led 2017 that the 2013 law is discrimatory, promot homophobia and vlat the European Conventn on Human Rights.

The urt found that the law “served no legimate public tert, ” rejectg suggtns that public bate on LGBT issu uld fluence children to bee homosexual, or that threatened public morals. Homosexualy was crimalized Rsia 1993, but homophobia and discrimatn is still rife. Speakg before Put signed the bill to the law on Monday, Tanya Loksha, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch said: “The 2013 ‘gay propaganda’ law was an unabashed example of polil homophobia, and the new draft legislatn amplifi that broar and harsher ways.

Ten years ago, a bill was passed banng so-lled "gay propaganda" relatn to children. Human rights groups say that was followed by a rise vlent homophobic attacks Rsia.

RSIAN NSTUTN CHANGE ENDS HOP FOR GAY MARRIAGE

But the fear generated by the legislatn is already leadg to censorship: onle cemas have leted LGBT-themed films and TV seri and eded out gay scen. In one episo of the highly-acclaimed HBO seri The Whe Lot, a Rsian streamg service changed the word "gay" to "man", eded a towel onto one male character's bare backsi and leted a gay sex scene, jt days after the law was ptn, The book Shattered, about the romance between two men, has been heavily redacted RsiaBooks, too, are beg censored. The text has been redacted by the publisher, wh whole sectns replaced wh black of the -thors of the law, an openly homophobic natnalist lled Valy Milonov, agre to speak to me via violk.

Rsia’s sweepg 2013 gay propaganda ban has drawn wispread crticism om human rights anizatns Rsia and abroad.

In July, about a week after the Kreml phed through nstutnal amendments that clu fg marriage as a unn between a man and woman, Tsvetkova was fed for a send time unr the untry’s notor “gay propaganda” law and forced to pay 75, 000 Rubl ($1000) over her lorful illtratns of same-sex upl and their young children. Mizula lost support bee of the “tremendo level of public outrage about the bill’s homophobia and transphobia, ” Jonny Dzhibladze, a ordator at Vykhod (“Comg Out”), a St.

‘OUR MERE EXISTENCE IS ILLEGAL.’ AS MOSW TOUGHENS ANTI-GAY LAW, LGBTQ RSIANS FEAR FOR THE FUTURE

A year later Put passed the so-lled “gay propaganda” law, which bans rmatn emed to promote homosexualy to mors. They urged the thori to protect the activist, who says she has received ath threats om an anonymo homophobic work lled Saw that publish the nam and ntacts of LGBTQ people, and lls for vlence agast them.

It’s not as homophobic as our officials and relig lears thk, ” she says. In 2009, Rsia’s most proment opposn figure Alexei Navalny suggted that gay people uld “olic” a rdoned stadium rather than public a Pri Para. More recently, June, he acced the ernment of gog “pletely crazy” after pro-Kreml media group Patrt released a homophobic polil advert.

But as a printial ndidate 2018, she clud same-sex civil unns and the liftg of the “gay propaganda” law her polil program. “Homophobia is a daily realy Rsia”. Good lotn: cy centre, another gay club (911) the nearby area and a gay iendly hostel next to stay (Inga Hotels).

SECRECY, DARK ROOMS, AND PATRTIC DRAG QUEENS: A GAY NIGHT OUT MOSW

MOSCOW — -- Five LGBT activists have been arrted Mosw as they tried to liver a petn llg on Rsian thori to vtigate the alleged tentn and torture of dozens of gay men of the activists om the group LGBT Network, Nika Saanov, speakg to ABC News om si the police statn where he and the four others were beg taed, said they were arrted today while walkg toward the offic of Rsia’s Prosecutor General central group was rryg large stacks of box stamped wh the words “Jtice for the Chechen 100” and filled wh pi of the petn. Saanov said they expected to be charged wh stagg an unsanctned group's petn, which was lnched on, lls for Rsia’s prosecutor to vtigate recent reports that over 100 men have been kidnapped and tortured by thori Chechnya as part of an alleged anized roundup targetg the gay muny there.

The newspaper said sourc Chechnya’s secury servic and the LGBT muny scribed the tentns as a “prophylactic purge” agast homosexuals the southern Rsian republic, where homosexualy is wily viewed as brgg shame on a then, ttimoni have emerged om some of the men taed, tailg btal tortur. Rsian gay rights activist Nika Saonov gtur ont of the Tverskoe police partment as he is released after beg taed central Mosw on May 11, 2017. And om other men published Novaya Gazeta, the Guardian and The New York Tim said the agents mand that those taed name other gay men, formg a cha of terror.

Police went through the men's phon lookg for their gay acquatanc, they said, then lured other men to traps and took them to be Gordienko, a reporter at Novaya Gazeta, told ABC News that the newspaper believ around 200 men had been taed and that is has proof that at least three men have been killed the purge, and fears that there were likely more. Z., who spoke on ndn of anonymy out of ncerns for his safety, told ABC News he was released after the agents uld fd no proof he was gay.

RSIAN LGBTQ ACTIVIST IS KILLED AFTER BEG LISTED ON GAY-HUNTG WEBSE

A nservative, predomantly Mlim regn, attus Chechnya to homosexualy were already very hostile. The ttimoni suggt they have now been turned agast the gay muny. Kadyrov and other Chechen officials have said such persecutns were impossible bee Chechnya do not have gay men.

MEET ANTON KRASOVSKY, THE GAY MAN RUNNG FOR MAYOR OF MOSWBRAVEANTON KRASOVSKY STANDS ALONE: THE ONLY OUT LGBTQ PERSON WILLG TO STAND FOR ELECTN RSIA. THAT’S IF THE THORI ALLOW HIM TO N FOR MAYOR OF MOSW THIS SEPTEMBER.ANNA NEMTSOVAUPDATED JUN. 29, 2018 12:01PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 27, 2018 4:45AM EDT VALERY SHARIFUL/GETTYMOSCOW—ANTON KRASOVSKY’S MOUTH IS FULL OF SWEAR WORDS. HE IS ANGRY WH PRETTY MUCH EVERY LIAR AND PROPAGANDIST MOSW, THE CY HE LOV AND WANTS TO CHANGE. AT TIM SEEMS THAT HIS URAGE WOULD DISAPPEAR THE MOMENT HE STOPS CURSG. AND URAGE IS WHAT HE NEEDS MOST RIGHT NOW, AS KRASOVSKY IS THE ONLY OPENLY GAY PERSON THE UNTRY OF RSIA—WH A POPULATN OF MORE THAN 140 LN—WHO DAR TO PETE THE KREML-NTROLLED ELECTN PROCS.THE MAJORY OF RSIAN POLICIANS AND BURECRATS AGREE THAT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE ABNORMAL. JT THE IA OF BEG ONE SGLE WARRR THE POLIL FIELD SOAKED HATE AND THRIVG HOMOPHOBIA WOULD SRE MANY AWAY OM THE ARENA. LAST MONTH, SPEAKG ON PENNT RAD STATN ECHO OF MOSW, KRASOVSKY REVEALED THE NEWS: SEPTEMBER HE WOULD N FOR MAYORAL ELECTN MOSW, IF THE THORI ALLOW HIM TO. (HE IS REGISTERED AS A NDIDATE BUT TO ACTUALLY TAKE PART THE ELECTN HE WILL HAVE TO LLECT SIGNATUR OF 110 MUNICIPAL PUTI BEFORE JULY 3.) “I ALMOST PISSED MY PANTS WHEN I CID TO N FOR MOSW MAYOR,” KRASOVSKY ADMTED TO THE DAILY BEAST A RECENT S-DOWN TERVIEW ONE OF MOSW’S HIP FFEE SHOPS, COFFEEMANIA. HERE, MOSW’S OLD TOWN KAI GOROD, MANY REGNIZED KRASOVSKY’S FACE.FIVE YEARS AGO, JUNE, 2013, 436 RSIAN MPS VOTED FAVOR OF A NEW BILL TO BAN “PROPAGANDA OF NON-TRADNAL SEXUAL RELATNS” AMONG MORS. THE BILL FORBA BOTH DIVIDUALS AND MEDIA GROUPS TO DISTRIBUTE LERATURE OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS ABOUT GAY RIGHTS. MANY LGBTQ FAI FLED THE UNTRY FEAR OF THE STATE TAKG THEIR CHILDREN AWAY OM THEM.SCE THEN, PRINT PUT HAS BEEN CRICIZED FOR NOT DOG ENOUGH TO HELP THE GAY MEN KILLED AND PERSECUTED A VIC CRACKDOWN CHECHNYA. THE NOTED BRISH LGBT ACTIVIST PETER TATCHELL PROTTED PRECISELY THIS AT THE BEGNG OF THE WORLD CUP, WHERE THE HOMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-LGBT POLICS OF RSIA HAS AGA E UNR THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT.ABOUT WHY HE MOUNTED THE PROTT, TATCHELL TOLD THE DAILY BEAST AT THE TIME, “IT’S TREMENDOLY IMPORTANT THAT PRINT PUT DON’T SRE AN UNCHALLENGED PUBLIC RELATNS UP WH THE WORLD CUP. HE NEEDS TO BE LLED OUT OVER THE PERSECUTN OF LGBT+ PEOPLE, HIS SUPPRSN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF RSIAN CIZENS, AND HIS WAR CRIM SYRIA.”THE DAILY BEAST ASKED KRASOVSKY WHY HE HAD GONE TO POLICS, WHEN MANY RSIAN GAY MEN AND WOMEN WERE FLEEG THE UNTRY. “BEE EVERYTHG SUCKS HERE,” KRASOVSKY SAID. HE WAS NVCED THAT, EVEN IF THE KREML DID NOT ALLOW HIS PARTICIPATN THE ELECTN, THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE EFUL FOR HIS POLIL REER.IN THE PAST FEW YEARS KRASOVSKY HAS MANAGED ELECTN MPAIGNS FOR TWO OPPOSN NDIDAT, BILLNAIRE MIKHAIL PROKHOROV’S AND A POP SOCIALE KSENIA SOBCHAK.THE IA OF RIDG A BLACK R OR SHAKG HANDS WH PRINT PUT’S IENDS SOUND RATHER HUMORO TO THE NEW NDIDATE KRASOVSKY, A FORMER RSIAN VOGUE MAGAZE RRPONNT. “SOMEBODY LIKE CHECHEN LEAR RAMZAN KADYROV WOULD NOT SHAKE MY HAND; BUT IF HE WANTS TO SHAKE A HAND OF GAY, I WILL SHAKE HIS HAND BACK.”IN RSIA OFFICIALS ARE NOT SHY ABOUT THEIR HOMOPHOBIC VIEWS. THERE IS A SIGN ON THE DOOR TO THE OFFICE OF MP VALY MILONOV, AT STATE DUMA, THE LOWER HOE OF RSIAN PARLIAMENT: “BANNED ENTRY FOR SODOM.” MILONOV IS ONE OF MASTERMDS BEHD THE ANTI-GAY “PROPAGANDA” BILL— 2016 HE CLAIMED THAT GAY PEOPLE “RAPE KIDS.”FOR YEARS, RSIA'S SMALL MUNY OF LGBTQ ACTIVISTS HAVE ENDURED HARASSMENT OM VLENT NATNALISTS AND POLICE. MOST RSIAN GAY PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN UP THE STGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS—THEY EHER PLAN TO PE OR PREFER TO LIVE QUIETLY THEIR SMALL CIRCL.WHEN MANY OF HIS IENDS IMMIGRATED, KRASOVSKY PREFERRED TO STAY RSIA, ALTHOUGH WH HIS LONG EXPERIENCE OF WORKG AS A MAGAZE WRER AND A TV PRENTER HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FD A GOOD PLACE FOR HIMSELF NEW YORK OR ANY EUROPEAN PAL. THERE HAVE BEEN WORSE TIM HIS LIFE, HE SAID, WHICH LEFT HIM AMONG VERY FEW SURVIVORS. “I THK ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF MY IENDS OM MOSW BOHEMIA CIRCL HAVE KILLED THEMSELV BY ALHOL AND DGS AND THE RT HAVE BUILT THEMSELV TO THE CURRENT STATE SYSTEM. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I DID NOT DRK MYSELF TO ATH,” HE ADMTED TO THE DAILY BEAST.THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME KRASOVSKY HAS SHOWN HIS URAGE RSIA. DURG HIS G OUT ON THE INTER KONTR TV 2013 KRASOVSKY SAID: “I AM GAY BUT I AM JT AS HUMAN AS PUT.” LAST YEAR, AN TERVIEW PUBLISHED ON FACEBOOK, KRASOVSKY ADMTED THAT HE HAD BEEN LIVG WH HIV SCE 2011. AS A VOLUNTEER AND ACTIVIST, KRASOVSKY AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN PHG THORI FOR TAKG MEASUR, LEGALIZG METHADONE TREATMENT, FOR FIGHTG HIV/AIDS EPIMIC RSIA.ALTHOUGH THE KREML HAS SANCTNED HOMOPHOBIA THROUGHOUT THE UNTRY, KRASOVSKY SISTS THAT ORDARY PEOPLE DO NOT HATE LGBTQ PEOPLE. “IT IS AN ILLN THAT RSIA IS A HOMOPHOBIC UNTRY BY S NATURE,” KRASOVSKY SISTED TO THE DAILY BEAST. HE SOUND IRRATED, WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT STEREOTYP CREATED BY MEDIA. “MY HOMOSEXUALY HAS NEVER HELPED ME BUT HAS NEVER BEEN THE WAY OF MY REER GOALS. IF PEOPLE ARE NSTANTLY TOLD THAT QUEERS ARE BASTARDS, AND TO BEAT THEM BEE ALL THEY WANT IS TO WALK THE STREETS NAKED, SOME GO AND DO BEAT UP LGBT PEOPLE.”DURG THE PAST MONTH KRASOVSKY HAS BEEN HOLDG DAILY PUBLIC MEETGS WH HIS ELECTORATE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OF MOSW. “PEOPLE DO NOT RE IF YOU ARE HOMOSEXUAL OR NOT, NOR IS ANYBODY TERTED YOUR HIV OR ANY OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS; PEOPLE WANT TO TALK WH ME ABOUT THE CY MOLISHG HO THEIR DISTRICT, OF MUNAL SERVIC FAILG, AND OF SOME ILLEGAL NSTCTN S OR SCHOOLS CLOSG DOWN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.” WHEN KRASOVSKY WAS YOUNG HIS FAY LIVED TY ROOMS AND MUNAL APARTMENTS FOR MOST OF HIS CHILDHOOD. HE WAS BORN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF MOSW THE PROVCIAL TOWN OF PODOLSK (WHICH HAS A POPULATN OF 302,831) WHERE KRASOVSKY WENT TO SCHOOL. HE NTUED HIS STUDI UKRAE, THE TOWN OF RIVNE, WHERE HIS ENGEER FATHER WORKED AT RIVNE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. “WHEN I TURNED 14, I MOVED TO MOSW AND DISVERED THE LIFE OF UNRGROUND BOHEMIA—MANY OF MY IENDS WERE G E AT THE TIME.”DURG THE PERTROIKA YEARS THE LATE 1980 KRASOVSKY BELONGED TO UNTERCULTURE CIRCL OF SOVIET HIPSTERS, LLG THEMSELV “STILYAGI.” “WE WERE ALL LISTENG TO ELVIS PRLEY, WENT TO VIKTOR TSOI’S NCERTS. I DRSED UP SEND HAND CLOTH OM THSKY MARKET. I HAD SOME HELLISH WHE JACKET AT SOME POT. LOOK, I WAS NEVER RICH, I NEVER HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY EXPENSIVE CLOTH.”KRASOVSKY’S IENDS MET ON THURSDAYS AT AN UNRGROUND CLUB LLED MOLOKO. KRASOVSKY STUDIED MAXIM GORKY LERATURE INSTUTE, THE TRAG GROUND FOR RSIAN POETS. HIS PANY OF HIP LOOKG YOUTH MGLED WH A QUEEN OF SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET ROCK AND ROLL, ZHANNA AGUZAROVA. IF, AS HE SAYS, SOME OF KRASOVSKY’S IENDS ED THEMSELV BY DGS, OTHERS TURNED TO VLADIMIR PUT FANS. KRASOVSKY PATH WAS DIFFERENT. “I AM STILL HAPPY THAT CHANG ME TO MY UNTRY; MY FAY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY DRAMATIC FANCIAL LOSS, WE WERE NEVER HUNGRY DURG THE PERD THAT SOME SCRIBE AS THE ‘BLOODY LIBERAL REGIME’—ANY CHANG ARE ALWAYS GOOD.”RUNNG FOR MOSW MAYOR, KRASOVSKY SE HIS ROLE, AS A NDIDATE, TO FIGHT FOR EQUALY FOR ALL. “OF ALL POLICIANS I PREFER OBAMA, I AM SOCIAL MOCRAT BY MY POLIL VIEWS, I WANT TO TAKE PART THE ELECTN TO SHOW THE CURRENT POLIL ELE HOW TO FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EEDOM.” ANNA NEMTSOVA

” The State Department said was “eply disturbed” by the Network has been helpg gay men to leave Chechnya. An anizatn that provis legal and unselg assistance to lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people Rsia's Far East has been listed as a "foreign agent.

Mayak is part of the Rsian LGBT Network, Rsia's largt gay and lbian support group, which was brand a "foreign agent" on a separate list on November 8.

Although Rsia crimalized homosexualy s ago, animosy agast gays remas high. In 2012, the Mosw cy ernment orred that gay pri paras be banned for the next 100 years.

HOW US EVANGELILS HELPED CREATE RSIA’S ANTI-GAY MOVEMENT

Attacks on the gay muny persist. Dozens of other activists received ath threats om an obscure anti-gay group that claimed rponsibily for the killg of Grigoryeva, who was stabbed repeatedly and showed signs of 2017, reports of extrajudicial arrts, torture and killgs of gay men the republic of Chechnya drew ternatnal year, Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev, a uple raisg two adopted children, had to flee Rsia after a doctor reported them to police and thori opened a crimal se.

Adoptn by same-sex upl is banned Rsia, but Vaganov had applied as a sgle Olenichev, a lawyer wh the Comg Out gay rights group, said there are stanc of tolerance by some urts.

He said he has worked on seven ctody s which judg refed to take away ctody, sayg that sexual orientatn don’t play a role a child’s he is ncerned that the nstutnal chang will enurage anti-gay views. “Our society really looks up to what the ernment do, so any kds of public actns promotg homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, many people may perceive as a ll for actn.