Chechen singer vanishes; victim of anti-gay purge?

Chechen pop singer Zelim Bakaev, who is feared to have fallen victim to Chechnya’s anti-gay purge, has been missing for three months. Continue reading →

‘A miracle happened’: 300 rally for LGBT rights in St. Petersburg

Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, gave LGBT demonstrators a pleasant surprise: In contrast to previous years’ harassment, police on May 17 protected 300 LGBT people and allies at a rally celebrating the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. Continue reading →

Russian police protect some LGBT activists, harass others

Police in Russia harassed or arrested several LGBT rights activists in connection with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17, the Russian LGBT Network reported. But most of the IDAHOT events in 16 Russian cities occurred without disruption. Many of the celebrations were organized as “Rainbow flashmobs” without a public announcement of … Continue reading →

Vote of 338-1 for Russian ‘gay propaganda’ bill

The lower house of the Russian parliament, or Duma, voted overwhelmingly today in favor of a ban on so-called “propaganda of homosexualism” where children might be present. The vote on the bill’s first reading was 338 for (or 336, by another account*), 1 against, with 1 abstention and the remaining 50 or so Duma members … Continue reading →