'We're not hidg': Gay and lbian Rsians say a cultural shift is unrway

RSIA: EXPAND 'GAY PROPAGANDA' BAN PROGRS TOWARD LAW

* no gay russia *

The proposals prohib sharg posive and even ntral rmatn about lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people, and publicly displayg non-heterosexual orientatns, wh hefty f for nonpliance.

The origal “gay propaganda” ban, troduced 2013, purported to protect children om “propaganda, ” broadly fed to mean any posive or ntral pictn or discsn of non-heterosexual relatns. The draft legislatn classifi displays of non-heterosexual relatns or orientatn as “rmatn harmful to children’s health and velopment” and provis that webs and other onle sourc hostg rmatn about lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people n be blocked. “The 2013 ‘gay propaganda’ law was an unabashed example of polil homophobia, and the new draft legislatn amplifi that broar and harsher ways, ” said Tanya Loksha, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The 2013 “gay propaganda, ” law has been extensively ed by the ernment to stifle pro-LGBT events and to shutdown anizatns and onle media. “The proposed legislatn and the origal ‘gay propaganda’ ban have no place any society and belong the trash. (Mosw) – A draft bill before Rsia’s parliament would signifintly affect the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people, Human Rights Watch said today.

WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY?

An official at Rsia’s Jtice Mistry has said at the Uned Natns that the rights of the LGBT muny were not vlated Chechnya bee there were no gays sentiment was first exprsed by Chechen strongman lear Ramzan Kadyrov who, faced wh media reports that gay Chechens were allegedly taed and tortured, mataed that “we don’t have any gays.” Last year, the vtigative Novaya Gazeta reported that more than 100 men had been starved, beaten, and tortured wh electric shocks a ernment-backed crackdown on lol gays. * no gay russia *

Rsia’s notor anti-gay “propaganda” law has been ed creasgly recent years as a tool for outright discrimatn.

It has been ed to jtify a crimal vtigatn of social workers who allowed a gay uple, married abroad, to adopt children, forcg the fay to flee to the Uned Stat. The law propos to ban all Rsians om promotg or “praisg” homosexual relatnships or publicly suggtg that they are “normal.

The ntroversial law was met wh cricism and ridicule Wtern untri, cludg a lg the European Court of Human Rights 2017 that stated Rsia’s “gay propaganda law” is discrimatory, promot homophobia and vlat the European Conventn on Human Rights.

RSIA TELLS UN THERE ARE NO GAYS CHECHNYA

Image source, Getty ImagMillns of people ntue to live plac that outlaw same-sex relatnships and prosecute people for beg gay. In five untri and parts of two others, homosexualy is still punishable wh the ath penalty, while a further 70 imprison cizens bee of their sexual where homosexualy is legal, many untri treat those same-sex relatnships differently, such as havg an unequal age of nsent or a ban on marriage. In Rsia, host of the Sochi Wter Olympics, a law banng the promotn of "non-tradnal" sexualy to unr-18s was troduced last, where is illegal to be gay?

Countri are loured and tegorised by their most anti-gay or pro-equaly laws. Not on the data: The map shows an overview of the legal stat of gay people livg UN member stat.

They are loured by their most anti-gay or pro-equaly laws on a sle of red to blue. In many plac where anti-discrimatn laws exist, gay people ntue to be persecuted by state thori and wir society. Decrimalisg beg gayImage source, Getty ImagDurg the last 200 years, an creasg number of untri have crimalised same-sex relatnships.

GAYS RSIA FD NO HAVEN, DPE SUPPORT FROM THE WT

Last year, India restated a 153-year-old lonial-era law crimalisg gay sex. Nigeria, which already bans gay relatnships, also recently outlawed same-sex marriag, gay groups and shows of same-sex public affectn.