Press Secretary of the Kostroma Oblast Court Julia Medvedeva announced the court ruled illegal a ban on gay pride marches in the region and on two rallies against the local law prohibiting propaganda of homosexuality among minors.

‘The Civil Chamber of Kostroma Regional Court granted the appeal of Moscow Pride and events founder Nikolai Alekseev against the decision of Sverdlovsk District Court’, said Medvedeva today (20 March).

Gay activists were pushed to the floor and pelted with eggs as they staged a kiss-in protest near the Russian State Duma today against plans for an anti-gay law.

Police broke up the demonstration in sub-zero temperatures and arrested the peaceful kissing protestors.

They were campaigning against a bill which had been due to go to the Duma, the lower house of parliament today (19 December). It would ban people spreading ‘propaganda about homosexuality to minors’.

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.

The Supreme Court of Russia has ruled that some LGBT events are not classified as ‘homosexual propaganda’.

The Supreme Court’s ruling, passed this Thursday (13 September), concerned the recent legal ban on ‘gay propaganda’ to minors issued by legislature in North Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region.

Nikolai Alexeyev, an LGBT rights advocate contested the ruling in both the lower courts and the European Court of Human Rights.

Activists in Russia plan to out gay politicians if they continue to support a ban on Pride House at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campaigners had planned the venue to be a meeting place for gay athletes and their supporters with events including a sports competition and photo exhibition.

Despite appeals, local courts upheld a decision to ban Pride House, with a judge claiming it was ‘extremist’ and could provoke ‘social-religious hatred'.

Moscow's highest court has upheld a decision to ban gay pride parades in the Russian capital for the next century.

The Tverskoy district court had previously banned public events that qualified as gay parades from March 2012 to May 2112.

In defiance, leading gay activist Nikolai Alekseev claimed to have found a loophole in Russian legislation and submitted requests for gay pride parades for the next 100 years to the Moscow Mayor’s office.

Russian social network VKontakte has sparked fury after it banned a user from stating he was in a gay relationship.

A male user known only as Oleg allegedly wrote to the network's administrators for help after being unable to select the ‘boyfriend’ option under his relationship status.

However, Oleg was outraged after the website refused to help him change his status.

While the website’s response have sparked anger from many in Russia’s LGBT community, gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseev says protests against the decision will have little impact.

Russia's embassy in London has issued a warning to parents about the risk of their children staying with 'gay families' during their placement at UK summer schools.

After receiving complaints from Russian citizens, the embassy in the British capital released a statement on its website claiming that some children who were studying in the country had experienced 'inappropriate housing conditions' and 'maltreatment', including being denied food, while staying with host families.

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.

Moscow has refused to allow LGBT activists to hold pride parades in the Russian capital for the next century.

The Tverskoy district court had previously banned public events that qualified as gay parades from March 2012 to May 2112.

In defiance, leading gay activist Nikolay Alekseev claimed to have found a loophole in Russian legislation and submitted requests for gay pride parades for the next 100 years to the Moscow Mayor’s office.

But the Moscow city court has now upheld the refusal of Alekseev's requests.

The two gay activists arrested in St Petersburg on Thursday (5 April) have been released by a court.

They were the first two people arrested in the Russian city under its new legislation which bans ‘the promotion of homosexuality to minors’ and had faced fines of 5,000 roubles ($172 €125) each and 15 days imprisonment if found guilty.

Two gay activists from Moscow Pride were arrested in St Petersburg yesterday (5 April) under the new ‘gay propaganda’ law.

The law, similar to legislation in other Russian states, 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.