gay rights Russia

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Putin Wants Constitution to Ban Same-Sex Marriage

He proposes amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman

(Newser) - Like George W. Bush before him, Vladimir Putin is supporting a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Unlike the American leader, the Russian president is highly likely to see the amendment become the law of the land. Russian lawmakers said Monday that Putin'...

Sorry, Elton, Putin Didn't Invite You to Gay Parade

Phone call between singer, Russian president was a prank

(Newser) - "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" will probably be set to "Repeat" on Elton John's playlist after he gets word he won't be going to Moscow at Vladimir Putin's invite after all. The singer has publicly said in the past he wants to engage...

Google Olympic Doodle Honors Gay Rights

'The practice of sport is a human right'

(Newser) - As the Sochi Olympics kick off, Google has taken a swipe at Russia's record on gay rights with its latest doodle. The doodle features images of winter athletes on the rainbow colors of the gay pride flag, along with a pointed quote from the Olympic Charter, Business Insider reports....

Sochi Mayor: There Are No Gays Here

At least, 'I don't bloody know them'

(Newser) - There aren't any gay people in Sochi—or so its mayor claims ahead of the Winter Olympics. Anatoly Pakhomov told the BBC that being gay is "not accepted here in the Caucasus where we live. We do not have them in our city." Questioned further, he acknowledged...

Putin: Gays Will Be Fine, Stay Away From Kids
 Putin: 
 'Everybody 
 Is Invited 
 to Sochi' 


SOCHI OLYMPICS

Putin: 'Everybody Is Invited to Sochi'

Says 'none of our guests will have any problems'

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin is again taking time out of his Herculean schedule to sit down with foreign media in advance of next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi, and used the opportunity to try to downplay Russia's anti-gay laws—sort of. "Everybody is invited to Sochi," he told...

Russia Lets Greenpeace Activists Leave

7 of 30 people detained are issued visas

(Newser) - Russian authorities today issued visas to seven of 30 members of a Greenpeace ship crew that allow the protesters to leave the country. The move comes after Moscow dropped criminal charges against them over a protest outside an Arctic oil rig. Greenpeace said other foreign members of the crew were...

German President to Boycott Sochi Olympics

Joachim Gauck cites Russia's human rights abuses

(Newser) - German President Joachim Gauck has become the highest-profile political figure to say "nyet" to next year's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The former pastor, whose position is largely ceremonial, says he plans to stay away because of the Putin regime's human rights abuses and harassment of the...

George Takei: Forget Russia Homophobes, Yank Olympics

Petitions to move Games back to 2010 host Vancouver

(Newser) - George Takei is fed up with Russia's anti-gay policies , but a boycott of Russian vodka —or even of the 2014 Sochi Olympics—isn't the way to make change. Rather, Takei wants to strip Russia of its Games and send them to Canada. In a blog post Tuesday,...

Moscow Forbids Gay Rights Parade

They call it 'homosexual propaganda' that will undermine patriotic values

(Newser) - Officials in Moscow have forbidden activists to hold a gay rights parade there, saying that it would conflict with a government-mandated campaign to promote patriotism in young people, the New York Times reports. The city noted that the Kremlin had been backing legislation banning "homosexual propaganda" in cities around...

9 Stories