Mirrored: 13th of January 2012, 18:05 Original: www.queerty.com Views: 61 Settings: Loading the mirror...
Link: image_src Link: prev: WATCH: <i>Joshua Tree, 1951</i> Doesn't Whitewash James Dean's Sexuality Link: next: 30 Rock To Address Tracy Morgan's <del>Homophobia</del> Idiocy Link: canonical Link: shortlink [IMG] _____________________ [ Search ] Queerty is better as a member Login | Register Hot topics: * Bullying * Rick Perry * Holidays * Hillary Clinton Follow us: RSS Follow @queerty Tip to share? Tell us! * NORTH FACE Freedom To Marry, ACLU: Gay Marriage Is Perfectly Secure In Canada Prime Minister, LGBT Groups Say Gay Marriage Safe in Canada * ON THE SKIDS? 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The gay-propaganda law went into Wednesday, the same day Russian activists Nikolai Alekseev, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy braved sub-zero temperatures in Arkhangelsk to protest the law with a 20-foot-long rainbow banner. Pictures of the protest have popped up on Alexeyev's Facebook and Gay Russia. A longtime gay-rights advocate, Alekseev stepped down as leader of Gay Russia and Moscow Pride in October but, from the looks of this, he's still fighting the good fight. Did the protest go off peacefully, though, or were the three arrested? There seems to be differing opinions. [UPDATE (Jan. 13, 9:30am): Alekseev writes Queerty to say "UkGayNews give reference to a similar protest a month ago, in December we were really not arrested. But we were arrested this time in January. So these are two different actions but at the same place."] On his Facebook page, Alekseev writes: Me, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy arrested at solitary pickets in Arkhangelsk. All of us are now at local police station, protocols are being written... officially accused of homosexual propaganda in Arkhangelsk. It is the first time Arkhangelsk gay propaganda laws passed last autumn are used in practice! All of us face a fine of up to 2000 rub each (50 euros). Court hearing is scheduled for 20 January. But we are still at police. His account of the police's response is in contradiction, though, with an article on UK Gay News, claiming no arrests were made. [UPDATE: We apologize for not realizing that the date on this UKGayNews article was December 11th, not January 11th. The same protest happened exactly one month apart, and we missed that detail.] Each of the activists approached the police. Texts of their posters, as well as passport data, were recorded. At the same time the officer called his superiors and asked whether a law prohibiting picketing "propaganda" of homosexuality among minors in the Arkhangelsk region, which came into force today. Response of the authorities was likely to be negative. But the demonstrators were told: "As long as you stand alone, you will not break the law." This advice was heeded and, as a result there were no arrests. We hope if the three were arrested that they've since been set free-and warmed themselves with some hot cocoa by a cozy fire. Bozhe moi! What do you think of this post? LOL (0) WTF (0) Hot (1) More Please (3) Jump to 3 Comments By: Evan Mulvihill On: Jan 12, 2012 Tagged: Alexey Kiselev, Arkhangelsk, gayrussia.eu, international LGBT rights, Kirill Nepomnyaschiy, Nikolai Alexseev, Russia Email This Tweet IFrame 3 Comments No. 1 . Danny They have everyone's sympathies for being stuck in Russia where government corruption is almost as bad as Texas; almost. Posted: Jan 13, 2012 at 2:02 am . @ReplyReply to this comment . [Flag?] No. 2 . Esculapio Mitiriades Torquemada de la Cueva Really gutsy men. Posted: Jan 13, 2012 at 2:32 am . @ReplyReply to this comment . [Flag?] No. 3 . MarkW Just a small point. You state: "[Nikolai Alekseev's] account of the police's response is in contradiction, though, with an article on UK Gay News, claiming no arrests were made." That report in UK Gay News was about the picket mounted a month ago on December 11 when there were indeed no arrests. This article above refers to a second picket in Arkhangelsk that was staged two days ago on January 11 when Nikolai Alekseev and two other gay activists were arrested. So there is NO conflict in reporting - there were two different pickets! Posted: Jan 13, 2012 at 4:56 am . @ReplyReply to this comment . [Flag?] Add your Comment Name (required) _________________________________________ Email Address (required) _________________________________________ Website URL _________________________________________ It's easier to add your comments when you are a member. 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