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April 9, 2013
Vladimir Putin says Russia does not discriminate against gays

Russian President has said despite a lack of gay rights laws, LGBT people ‘enjoy all the same rights and freedoms as everyone else’

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia does not discriminate against homosexuals.

The Russian president was speaking at a press conference in Amsterdam, where gay rights activists, topless feminists and other protestors critical of the lack of human rights laws in the country had greeted him.

He said: ‘In the Russian Federation – so that it is clear to everybody – there is no infringement on the rights of sexual minorities.

‘These people…enjoy all the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.’

March 15, 2013
Russia defies Europe as ministers criticize banning of Moscow Pride

Council of Europe says Russia must allow LGBT people to hold prides and axe anti-gay propaganda laws but Moscow security chief says there will be no change

Foreign ministers from around Europe have told Russia to allow gay pride parades and to remove laws banning ‘homosexual propaganda’.

January 25, 2013
Russia to vote on gay gag as another region makes it law

Another million Russians banned from ‘promoting homosexuality’ as national anti-gay law comes back on agenda at the State Duma

Russia’s State Duma, or parliament, is set to debate and vote on a law against ‘gay propaganda’ at 5pm Moscow time today (25 January).

The debate comes as news breaks that Kaliningrad region, with a population of almost a million, passed a similar law yesterday (24 January).

It’s the 10th Russian region to pass the law which forbids ‘homosexual propaganda’ to minors which it links to pedophilia.

Similar legislation already exists in St Petersburg, Ryazan, Arkangelsk, Kostroma, Magadansk, Samar, Bashkortostan, Krasnodar and Novosibirsk.

January 22, 2013
Russia gay activists assaulted at kissing protest

Russian gay kissing against gay propaganda bill were assaulted Christian Orthodox activists

A ‘gay kissing day’ demonstration outside the Russian State Duma today ended in violence, as Christian Orthodox activists assaulted gay and lesbian protestors.

Gay and lesbians activists kissed today (22 January) in front of the Duma in protest of its plans to legalize a nationwide ban on so called ‘gay propaganda’.

December 18, 2012
Russia delays debate on anti-gay propaganda law

Russia’s State Duma will not discuss law banning ‘promotion of homosexuality’ to children until next year

Russia’s State Duma has postponed the first reading of a bill designed to fine people who ‘promote homosexuality’ to children.

The Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, was due to debate the law tomorrow (19 December). But it will now not be discussed until 22 January according to Russian International News Agency, RIA Novosti.

December 13, 2012
Europe slams Russia and Ukraine laws and says gay rights must be a ‘priority’

The European Parliament has told Russia and Ukraine to drop gay gag laws and said LGBT issues must be a foreign policy priority for the EU

The European Parliament has told Russia and Ukraine to ditch plans to fine and jail people who talk positively about gay issues.

The LGBT ‘gay laws’ already exist in nine regions of Russia but now the Duma parliament is planning countrywide legislation. Similar proposals are also being debated in Ukraine.

The laws are used to ban gay prides, silence gay organizations stop young people being given positive messages about being LGBT, and to crack down on dissidents.

December 11, 2012
Russia must reject ‘gay gag’ laws says Human Rights Watch

HRW calls on Duma to drop homophobic bill that would fine people for talking openly about LGBT issues

Russia’s parliament should reject a proposed bill banning gay ‘propaganda’, Human Rights Watch said today (11 December).

The Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, is scheduled to discuss plans to fine individuals, government officials and organizations that ‘promote’ homosexuality to anyone under 18.

November 30, 2012
Russia poised to bring in national gay gag law

Activists fear country-wide 'homosexual propaganda' bill, due to be discussed in Russia's State Duma, will increase LGBT violence

A national anti-gay 'propaganda' bill, similar to the one passed in St Petersburg, threatens to silence Russia's gay community.

The proposed legislation will enter its first reading in the country's national parliament, the Duma, on 19 December.

November 22, 2012
Moscow lawmakers reject 'gay gag' bill

Regional parliament in Russia rules anti-gay 'propaganda' bill conflicts with federal law

Moscow's regional parliament has rejected an anti-gay 'propaganda' bill similar to homophobic laws passed elsewhere in Russia.

The proposed law, which would ban 'non-traditional sexual orientation propaganda to minors', was filed with the Duma on 16 November by the local Council of Municipal Entities.

A Duma spokesman told the RIA Novosti news agency today (22 November) that the legislation 'will not be accepted' because it is in conflict with the country's federal law.

July 12, 2012
Activist Nikolai Alekseev cleared of Moscow gay pride charges

Leading gay rights campaigner to seek compensation for arrest and detention by police at banned Moscow gay pride protest

Russian gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseev says he will seek compensation after a court cleared him of illegally organizing a gay pride protest in Moscow.

LGBT campaigners defied a ban on a pride rally in Russia’s capital by picketing the country’s parliament, the Duma, and city hall on 27 May.

Police arrested 40 people, including Alekseev, for holding an unauthorized demonstration to mark the anniversary of the abolition of an anti-gay sodomy law in 1993.

June 25, 2012
Putin’s new law may be used against gay marches

A new law in Russia fining people for ‘unsanctioned rallies’ could also be used to crack down on gay prides, says Amnesty

New laws restricting the right to peaceful assembly in Russia will affect gay pride marchers, warns human rights group Amnesty International.

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party’s bill hiking up fines for protesters taking part in unsanctioned rallies was passed through the country’s parliament, the Duma, in a matter of weeks and will become law once he has signed it off.

March 11, 2012
St Petersburg governor signs gay hate law

Georgiy Poltavchenko signs law against gay ‘propaganda to minors’ despite international pressure – now four Russian regions have similar laws

The governor of St Petersburg in Russia has signed a bill into law which is designed to gag the local gay and transgender population.

The law officially prevents the ‘propaganda of homosexuality to minors’ but campaigners warn it will be used to gag any public discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues or events targeted at gay and trans people.

March 6, 2012
Moscow and Manchester in final bid to stop St Petersburg gay hate law

Moscow activists and officials from Manchester, St Petersburg’s twin city, have joined the fight to prevent the Russian city’s gay propaganda law

The Lord Mayor and deputy leader of Manchester City Council, in northern England, are using their trip to the Russian city of St Petersburg to urge its governor not to sign an anti-gay new law.

Meanwhile activists from Moscow have pledged to defy the legislation by protesting in front of children’s libraries and schools in St Petersburg on the day it comes into force.

March 1, 2012
Give Russians voice with anti-gay gag video

Make campaign video go viral and stop St Petersburg's anti-gay 'propaganda' law

Activists hope a video featuring gay men and women with their mouths gagged or taped will go viral in a final push to stop St Petersburg's anti-gay 'propaganda' law.

Politicians in the Russian city yesterday (29 February) voted in favor of the 'gag gay' bill which makes people criminals if they discuss homosexuality in public.

February 29, 2012
St Petersburg votes for gay hate law

Local Russian politicians ignore massive European, US and global pressure to press ahead with gay gag law

St Petersburg politicians have today (29 February) voted in favor of a new law which makes people criminals if they discuss homosexuality in public.

The law prohibiting public discussion of LGBT issues is similar to rules already introduced in the country's Ryazan, Arkhangelsk and Kostroma regions.

Currently, the bill has fines of up to 1 million roubles ($34,400 €25,000) for organisations and up to 5,000 roubles (€172 €125) for individuals.