36 Photos From Russia That Everyone Needs To See
It's a scary place for LGBT people in Russia right now.
1. St. Petersburg Gay Pride, 2013:
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2.
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3. What began as a peaceful march...
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4. ...ended up turning incredibly violent as anti-gay protesters overtook the rally.
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5. A gay rights supporter is beaten to the ground.
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6. Smoke bombs are set off.
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7. Chaos ensues.
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8. A woman runs from the crowd.
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9. Two men flee...
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10. ...but are eventually detained.
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11. In the end, police officers detained several of the gay activists.
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12. The 2012 parade ended the same way.
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An anti-gay protester clashes with a gay rights activist.
13. That event was also overrun by anti-gay protesters.
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14.
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15. Moscow, May 2013:
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An unknown anti-gay activist hits Russian gay and LGBT rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev during an unauthorized gay rights activists rally in central Moscow.
16. An unauthorized protest turns violent.
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17. Gay activists end up being detained.
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The sign says, "Love is stronger than homophobia."
18. The 2012 Moscow gay pride was filled with more of the same...
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19. ...more detained gay rights activists.
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20. June 2013: Gay rights activists hold a kiss-in in Moscow.
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21. The activists were protesting a new "gay propaganda" law. The law would introduce steep fines and jail terms for people who promote homosexual "propaganda" to minors.
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22. That event also ended violently.
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23. Russian police detained more than 20 gay rights activists...
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24. ...as gay rights activists were pelted with rotten eggs.
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25.
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26. The same thing happened at a "kissing protest" in January.
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27. That event also turned bloody.
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28. More violence.
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29. An Orthodox activist pulls a gay rights campaigner's hair.
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30. Unknown assailants attack a gay rights activist.
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31. Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers passed a bill barring same-sex foreign couples from adopting Russian children.
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32. The anti-gay propaganda bill became a law.
33. And just this past week, four Dutch citizens were tried in Moscow for a “gay propaganda” crime.
34. Still, activists keep on fighting.
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This photo is from this year's International Day Against Homophobia. This sign says, "I'm 17 years old. Government says I do not exist. Nazi say, I need to be killed, But I will live!"
35. This one says, "Homophobia kills!"
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36. And this one says, "Love is stronger than hate."
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Russia is hosting the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi. What does this mean for gay athletes and spectators? Is the US Olympic Committee okay with this?
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post misidentified a straight ally as an anti-gay protester. Those photos have been replaced. (7/23/13)