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

Contents:

• THE 5 BEST MOSW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MOSW
• GAY MOSW MOSW CY GUI
• 'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY
• SECRECY, DARK ROOMS, AND PATRTIC DRAG QUEENS: A GAY NIGHT OUT MOSW
• GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS ISTANBUL
• MOSW: GAY MOSW
• GAY MOSW
• EXPLORE GAY ROOMS & RENTALS
• ‘I’M AAID FOR MY FUTURE’: PROPOSED LAWS THREATEN GAY LIFE RSIA
• 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 5 BEST MOSW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MOSW
• NOT THE ONN: MOSW BANS GAY PRI FOR NEXT 100 YEARS
• NEW ‘GAY WATER’ LOOKS TO AVOID BUD LIGHT DISASTER
• JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU

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

Good lotn: cy centre, another gay club (911) the nearby area and a gay iendly hostel next to stay (Inga Hotels).

Homosexualy is legal, although a vaguely-word 2013 law prohibs the promotn of ‘non-tradnal’ relatnships. As such, gay travellers are advised agast overt displays of their sexualy.

GAY MOSW MOSW CY GUI

That said, the vast majory of viss rema trouble-ee, even for visors who equent the cy’s ls-than-secret gay bar and club bt hotels MoswThe historic exterr of the Hotel Metropol, facg the ternatnally-celebrated Bolshoi Theatre and close to many of the other ma thgs to do Mosw, is nothg pared to s sumptuo terrs. The rpeted terrs give this stay a homely ambience, which marri well wh breakfast – which is served your CrewiRemend hotels Gay Mosw - Mosw.

Gay and Gay-iendly Hotels IstanbulBook the bt gay hotels wh misterb&b, the lear gay travel chosen by 1M travelers. Competive pric - Gay-owned bs - Support for LGBTQ+ NGOsmost bookedcheaptmisterb&b munyAcrdg to human rights and LGBTQ+ anizatns, sexual orientatn and genr inty are crimalized/margalized this statn. Mosw is still a place where many gay people om Rsia e to explore gay beach and snas.

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

It is helpful to be wh a gui as everythg is Rsian, although the biggt gay club now has a gay sign on the street. From private rooms and apartments to LGBTQ-iendly hotels, you have the optn to stay the heart of gay districts as well as other neighborhoods the plac you vis.

A loft Soho, a shared room Barcelona or the Castro, a gay-iendly hotel Le Marais or Chelsea, experience misterb&b all gay travel statns!

They were tryg to ply wh a 2013 Rsian law that bans exposg mors to anythg that uld be nsired “gay propaganda. ”The anizers had good reason to be wary: Life has been challengg for gay Rsians sce the law passed, as the ernment has treated gay life as a Wtern import that is harmful to tradnal Rsian valu and Rsia’s Parliament is set to pass a legislative package that would ban all “gay propaganda, ” signalg an even more difficult perd ahead for a stigmatized segment of laws would prohib reprentatn of L.

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

Exprsn wh s ratnale for the war Ukrae, sistg that Rsia is fightg not jt Ukrae but all of NATO, a Wtern alliance that reprents a threat to the Put drove home that argument a speech last week, sayg that the Wt n have “dozens of genrs and gay pri paras, ” but that should not try to spread the “trends” elsewhere.

Aleksandr Khste, a puty om the lg Uned Rsia party and the lead thor of the new anti-gay bills, was even more blunt. Lunchenkov said that 2010, when he was school, he felt that he uld exprs his gay inty eely among his classmat.

Olenichev said that though the police do not track hate crim agast queer people, he and his lleagu have noticed an crease clients who have suffered inty-based attacks sce rhetoric behd anti-gay laws may have dangero nsequenc for gay Rsians, said Vladimir Komov, a lawyer wh the group Delo 2013 law was promoted as protectg children, while the new on “seek to prohib gay propaganda as a danger to the state system, ” fg as extremism, he Lunchenkov said the proposed laws uld leave gay people “aaid to go to medil clics to get treatment or ttg” for sexually transmted diseas.

GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS ISTANBUL

”Some gay Rsians doubt that the new laws will greatly affect them. “I am more sred of beg drafted to fight the war than for beg arrted bee I am gay, ” said Andrei Melnikov, 19. Lawmakers llg gays a danger on a par wh war “is more funny than sry, ” he now, gay Rsians and their alli have found exprsn spe rtrictive laws.

MOSW: GAY MOSW

A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 7 of the New York edn wh the headle: Life for Gay Rsians Is About to Get Worse.

GAY MOSW

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 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.

EXPLORE GAY ROOMS & RENTALS

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 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 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.

‘I’M AAID FOR MY FUTURE’: PROPOSED LAWS THREATEN GAY LIFE RSIA

”The Daily Beast asked Krasovsky why he had gone to polics, when many Rsian gay men and women were fleeg the untry. “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.

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

”In Rsia officials are not shy about their homophobic views. ” Milonov is one of mastermds behd the anti-gay “propaganda” bill— 2016 he claimed that gay people “rape kids.

Most Rsian gay people have given up the stggle for their rights—they eher plan to pe or prefer to live quietly their small 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. Durg his g out on the Inter Kontr TV 2013 Krasovsky said: “I am gay but I am jt as human as Put. Although the Kreml has sanctned homophobia throughout the untry, Krasovsky sists that ordary people do not hate LGBTQ people.

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

“It is an illn that Rsia is a homophobic untry by s nature, ” Krasovsky sisted to The Daily Beast.

NOT THE ONN: MOSW BANS GAY PRI FOR NEXT 100 YEARS

“My homosexualy has never helped me but has never been the way of my reer goals.

NEW ‘GAY WATER’ LOOKS TO AVOID BUD LIGHT DISASTER

“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. Mosw's cy and district urts are unison that gay pri paras Mosw will be banned until at least 2112 -- 100 years om Rights First is already out wh s nmnatn:Human Rights First nmns the Tverskoy District Court lg to uphold the cisn of Mosw thori to ban gay pri paras the cy until May 2112.

The 100-year ban, along wh the discrimatory laws prohibg "promotn of homosexualy" that are spreadg through lol legislatur, show that the Rsian ernment remas behd the tim. It's hard to image a more animatg event than a 100-year ban to throw at gays, their fai and iends, and believers mocracy than such an absurd and ic ban.

The gay crowd will harrass and torment and unrme and prevail over those tryg to reprs them. Rsia -- strategilly important, a key member of the UN P-5, a untry Ameri mt work wh on challeng rangg om Iran to Syria to global oil and energy issu, wh a steady and mostly sensible foreign mister -- is creasgly beg a farce among natns, s serns dissolvg wh idtic gtur like this gay ban. A new nned cktail lled Gay Water is lookg to attract LGBTQ drkers and avoid the pfalls of Bud Light’s disastro marketg partnership wh transgenr fluencer Dylan Mulvaney.

JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU

The mixture of vodka and soda water, long known rmally as “gay water” the LGBTQ muny, is the brachild of 30-year-old gay entreprenr Spencer Hodson.

He noted that the nctn aims “to stigmatize the word ‘gay’ by brgg reprentatn to spac that have not tradnally featured queer products, such as bars, liquor stor, grocery stor, rtrants, hotels and more.