First openly gay printial ndidate lnch ‘Tth Squad 2020’ mpaign | The Hill

Contents:

• ELECTN 2020: PETE BUTTIGIEG IS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO RUN FOR US PRINT
• IS AMERI READY TO ELECT A GAY PRINT?
• THERE WON’T BE A GAY PRINT 2021. SO WHAT DO BUTTIGIEG’S CAMPAIGN TELL US?
• FRED KARGER WAS THE 1ST OPENLY GAY PERSON OM A MAJOR PARTY TO N FOR PRINT
• WHAT WILL HISTORY SAY? AN INTERVIEW WH FRED KARGER, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO RUN FOR PRINT
• OPN AMERI HAS ALREADY HAD A GAY PRINT
• THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO N FOR PRINT WASN'T NAMED PETE BUTTIGIEG. MEET FRED KARGER.
• A MARRIED GAY MAN IS NNG FOR PRINT. THAT’S A BIG AL.
• PETE BUTTIGIEG COULD BE THE FIRST MILLENNIAL AND OPENLY GAY MAN TO BEE A NOMEE FOR PRINT
• OPINION: MY HISTORIC N AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAJOR-PARTY NDIDATE FOR U.S. PRINT
• MEET PETE BUTTIGIEG: A GAY MAYOR, AFGHAN WAR VET AND LENNIAL WHO'S NNG FOR PRINT
• PETE BUTTIGIEG IS AN OPENLY GAY ARY VETERAN, RHOS SCHOLAR, AND DEMOCRATIC MAYOR A RED STATE. HE'S ALSO NNG FOR PRINT
• FIRST OPENLY GAY PRINTIAL NDIDATE LNCH ‘TTH SQUAD 2020’ MPAIGN
• LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE
• 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 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

ELECTN 2020: PETE BUTTIGIEG IS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO RUN FOR US PRINT

“I have the distctn of beg the first openly gay major party ndidate to n for print of the Uned Stat, ” he said, h om a walk about his neighborhood overlookg Lrel ’s a fact, even if ’s often fotten or 2012, the former Republin nsultant and rporate mpaign strategist waged a long-shot bid for the GOP nomatn. He had no illns he would prevail, much ls take up rincy the Whe ’s ma purpose was to participate at least one mpaign bate, to “send the msage to gay younger people and olr people and everyone between that you n do anythg you want life and [not] feel bad about yourself and... ”He appreciated the fact that Buttigieg, whenever troduced as the first openly gay ndidate for print, ma a pot of clarifyg the matter and givg Karger cred where cred was due.

The first openly gay man to n for print the history of the Uned Stat is receivg a lot of qutns about how to rrectly pronounce his tongue-twistg fay Buttigieg, a Democrat, is currently mayor of the cy of South Bend, Indiana. As of last unt, 24 Democrats have dited or have actually entered the race to bee the party’s printial what has aroed the tert of Ameri’s polil ele is that Buttigieg is a proud openly gay man.

On the mpaign trail, he speaks of beg gay terms of fay valu, emphasizg he is a lovg, mted same-sex marriage, and what his ndidacy says about cln and equaly Ameri today. “Pete’s succs so far this mpaign reprents an evolutn Amerin polics, upendg tradnal notns of electabily and provg that Ameri is ready to elect s first openly gay print, ” Ellt Imse, munitn director at the LGBTQ Victory Fund, said. LGBTQ is an clive signatn for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and other sexual orientatns.

IS AMERI READY TO ELECT A GAY PRINT?

The same poll showed 40% of Ain Amerin rponnts sayg they are reluctant to vote for a gay man.

THERE WON’T BE A GAY PRINT 2021. SO WHAT DO BUTTIGIEG’S CAMPAIGN TELL US?

“If Ain Amerins were sort of disproportnately cled to not vote for somebody who is gay, you would thk that would have shown up there as well, ” said David Barker, director of the Center for Congrsnal and Printial Studi at Amerin Universy Washgton. Man, ” wh Buttigieg’s same-sex marriage, and said Amerins are “still not ready to elect a gay guy kissg his hband on the bate stage [as] print. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTNews AnalysisSupporters say that Pete Buttigieg’s ntributn to history will be dimished if the takeaway is that the untry shgged when the first openly gay man had a ser shot at the Schaff/The New York TimIt was the qutn that followed former Mayor Pete Buttigieg everywhere he went when he first announced his printial mpaign: Is the untry really ready to send a gay man to the Whe Hoe?

FRED KARGER WAS THE 1ST OPENLY GAY PERSON OM A MAJOR PARTY TO N FOR PRINT

Some gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr activists, many of them young and nonwhe and far to the left of Mr. Buttigieg’s ntributn to history will be misunrstood and dimished if the ma takeaway is that the first openly gay man to have a ser shot at the princy eliced a llective shg om a untry, as if the untry had moved on om s homophobic past. Buttigieg end his mpaign that she was still awe that he got as far as he you had asked her seven years ago whether an openly gay ndidate uld credibly n for print 2020, she wrote on Twter, “I would have said you were nuts.

Buttigieg at a rally a few days before he dropped out of the race, “I want to be brave like you, ” and asked, “Would you help me tell the world I’m gay, too? ”Even 2020, part of the paradox of nng a succsful mpaign as an openly gay man meant that his orientatn uld not fe him to voters who might not fully accept .

”While the qutn of whether the untry is ready to send a gay man to the Whe Hoe remas unanswered, the qutn of whether Amerins will treat one serly as a printial ndidate is now closed, he said. Earlier this year, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 70% of Amerins support the ia of a gay or lbian printial ndidate.

WHAT WILL HISTORY SAY? AN INTERVIEW WH FRED KARGER, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO RUN FOR PRINT

Karger, a gay Republin who had never n for polil office, sought the GOP nomatn for the 2012 electn a field that clud several challengers: Mt Romney, Newt Ggrich, Michelle Bachman, Rick Santom, among others.

Karger me out to this fay when he was 41, though he had told some of his llege iends that he was gay about 20 years earlier.

OPN AMERI HAS ALREADY HAD A GAY PRINT

In 2006, Karger’s activism to save the historic Laguna Beach gay bar the Boom Boom Room publicly brought the then 56-year-old out of the closet. After beg a Republin almost 50 years, Karger says he will leave the party to vote for Democrat Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, the upg California printial primary.

THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO N FOR PRINT WASN'T NAMED PETE BUTTIGIEG. MEET FRED KARGER.

In an terview wh Q Voice News, Karger, 69, talks about how his gay uncle’s suici impacted him, fightg agast the Mormon Church, livg the closet, and makg history wh his printial mpaign. Karger’s first work as an activist was 2006 when he lnched an effort to save the historic Laguna Beach gay bar the Boom Boom Room. “Part of my journey was that 2006 I worked on tryg to save a gay bar Laguna Beach lled the Boom Boom Room, ” Karger says.

Rick Santom is notor for his anti-gay rhetoric, but durg Karger’s printial n, he says that Santom never cricized him or ma anti-gay ments. “There are some great people out there, but a lot of sane, gay Republins have left the party. I stick wh the party bee I thk if every gay person leav the party, we will be dire straights.

For him, 's about tellg his story as an out gay man, and the stori of thoands of others like him.

A MARRIED GAY MAN IS NNG FOR PRINT. THAT’S A BIG AL.

The legendary lol gay bar, The Boom Boom Room, was on the choppg block after the property was bought up by a nservative billnaire.

PETE BUTTIGIEG COULD BE THE FIRST MILLENNIAL AND OPENLY GAY MAN TO BEE A NOMEE FOR PRINT

Though the bar eventually closed, was this first very public fight on behalf of the LGBT muny that led Karger, then 55, to his new llg: gay transn challenged Karger, who had spent most of his reer the closet.

Once aga, Karger received wispread media attentn, garnerg profil of Fred Karger, Gay Activist, the L.

It's a story that's all too faiar -- and still a recent terview on Hardball wh Chris Matthews, Karger talks about the "rabow glass ceilg" faced by today's gay men and women polics, a "glass box" that prevents gay people om dreamg big and achievg their 's somethg that held him back his reer, as the fear of g out (or of beg outed) stopped him om nng for office until now. Tim last Augt, "When you're gay and the closet, you learn there are a lot of thgs you n't do. "While his LGBTQ policy also clus gettg ENDA passed and makg DOMA history, the gay marriage fight is the keystone of his platform, and ed, of his princy.

OPINION: MY HISTORIC N AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAJOR-PARTY NDIDATE FOR U.S. PRINT

Their support uld have translated to large amounts of money, he said, that uld have qualified him for certa bat and bought airtime, creasg like Human Rights Campaign and the Natnal Gay and Lbian Task Force have been largely silent sce Karger began his mpaign.

MEET PETE BUTTIGIEG: A GAY MAYOR, AFGHAN WAR VET AND LENNIAL WHO'S NNG FOR PRINT

"The Victory Fund, an fluential anizatn that backs gay ndidat based on their background public service and their chanc of wng their rac, passed on Fred Karger, the first openly gay man to n for print. "I knew that 'gay Republin' mak for an awfully good headle, " he says wh a chuckle and a ht of smug satisfactn; unfortunately, hasn't won over the overwhelmg majory of LGBTQ voters who rema firmly the Democratic mp. "But today, a few weeks after Print Obama me out support of same-sex marriage, and as gay men and women state after state w the right to marry, the fight "to get thgs done" feels almost as if 's already been won.

It's a matter of when, not many ways, so many people this untry have moved past gay marriage. For so many people, 's not about "normalizg who we are" -- 's about fdg ways to achieve real rpect, real jtice, that means somethg to real dividuals, not all of whom are as meticuloly put-together as the gay men of Laguna maybe 's not jt the Republin thg.

Maybe some people feel that the first gay man to n for print should stand for more than marriage equaly. " Many would argue further that those who aspire to normalcy perpetuate exactly that which they are tryg to fight -- while workg for equaly, for "normal" stat, they grant their permissn for society to ntue to treat gay people as sub-normal, as many ways, Fred Karger reprents somethg larger than himself.

PETE BUTTIGIEG IS AN OPENLY GAY ARY VETERAN, RHOS SCHOLAR, AND DEMOCRATIC MAYOR A RED STATE. HE'S ALSO NNG FOR PRINT

As more and more gay people ga a foothold polics and rpect om society, they mt ci what to do wh the power they've been given.

“If elected, you would be the first openly gay print of the Uned Stat, ” Stephen Colbert said to Pete Buttigieg after the mayor of South Bend, Ind., clared his ndidacy. While the characterizatn of beg openly gay or “out” is relatively new, the fact is the Uned Stat has already had a gay print whose ntemporari knew : Jam Buchanan. Ined, the Uned Stat has also had a gay vice print and, maybe more surprisgly, a gay senator om stunts takg U.

FIRST OPENLY GAY PRINTIAL NDIDATE LNCH ‘TTH SQUAD 2020’ MPAIGN

Andrew Jackson referred to Kg as “Miss Nancy”— a phemism for a gay ntemporari lled Kg Buchanan’s “better half, ” and one ngrsman referred to him as “Mrs. At most uld suggt Buchanan was not openly discsg this moment, we fet that beg gay the mid-19th century did not tomatilly exclu a man om natnal learship.

The ia that some people, cludg policians and social lears, are gay was not news or shockg to our forefathers. S., sorry, Pete Buttigieg, you n’t aim to be the first gay print, although you uld be the first married gay print. Pete would be the send openly gay ndidate om eher major polil party to n for print of the Uned historic mpaign 2012 ma me the first.

LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE

" Or they repeat the LGBTQ Victory Fund's le, "Pete is the first openly gay elected official to n.

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 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

I said speech after speech that I was nng for two reasons: (1) I wanted to send a msage to the entire LGBTQ muny, pecially our youth, that you n do anythg you want life, (2) I hoped that my historic n would make easier for the next openly gay ndidate.

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Should Buttigieg w his long-shot bid for the Democratic nomatn, he will bee the first nomee of a major polil party who publicly intifi as gay.