Gays for Putin!
Геи за Путина!
LeaderAlexei Nazarov
IdeologyLGBT advocacy
Putinism
Slogan
  1. GayZaPutinz
  2. GZaP
  3. GaysSupportPutin

Gays for Putin! (Russian: Геи за Путина!) is a Russian LGBT group that supports Vladimir Putin, endorsing his 2018 presidential campaign. The tongue-in-cheek initiative began following a homophobic presidential campaign ad in early 2018.[1][2]

History

Gays for Putin! held its first demonstration to support Putin's presidential campaign on 3 March 2018 after filing a notice in Smolny. The demonstration was held in St. Petersburg, the hometown of Putin and Vitaly Milonov, a self-described "demon hunter" who can "smell gays" and authored the local law that was the model for the national gay propaganda law.[3] After submitting an application to the Smolny profile committee, a couple of gays attended a service in the nearby Smolny Convent of St. Petersburg, praying for the success of a good undertaking. Also that month, the Moscow gay group members also held a demonstration in Moscow.[4]

Maxim Neverov, a sixteen-year-old co-founder of Gays for Putin,[5] submitted 12 applications for pro-Putin and LGBTQ public events to city officials in Biysk.[6] He applied for permission for a performance of a Gays for Putin play, and rallies to recognize Putin as a saint and defending gay people named Vitaly.[7] Authorities rejected his applications and published his address and phone number on the internet.[6] In an interview with Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, Neverov said he was picked up from his school by authorities and forbidden from organizing the events. In July he received a letter from the police accusing him of spreading gay propaganda and ordering him to appear before a committee.[5] Neverov was the first minor to be charged and convicted under Russia's gay propaganda law.[8] He was ordered to pay a 50,000 ruble fine for three photographs that appeared in a private album on VK.[5] The conviction was overturned on appeal.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "'Gays for Putin' Schedule Rally in Support of Russian President". The Moscow Times. 20 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Russians Threatened With Conscription and Gay Homestays in Presidential Campaign Ad". The Moscow Times. 19 February 2018.
  3. ↑ Coalson, Robert (19 March 2018). "Russia 2018: Kremlin Countdown". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. They have a gray smell, naturally.
  4. ↑ 3 марта «Геи за Путина!» проведут первую демонстрацию в Петербурге
  5. 1 2 3 de Graaf, Iris; Megens, Mike (13 August 2018). "'Ik moet een maandsalaris betalen voor drie plaatjes die ik heb gepost'". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch).
  6. 1 2 Alex, Cooper (14 August 2018). "'Not scared': Russian teen charged under 'gay propaganda' law will keep protesting". NBC News.
  7. 1 2 Smith, Gwendolyn (26 October 2018). "Russian court tosses 'gay propaganda' conviction of teenage boy". LGBTQ Nation.
  8. ↑ "Russian Teenager Convicted for Spreading "Gay Propaganda"". Coda Story. 15 August 2018.
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