russia
Madonna says Russia fined her $1 million for this gay rights speech
Madonna has said the Russian government fined her $1 million for speaking out about LGBTIQ rights on stage in St. Petersburg. During her 2012 MDNA tour, Madonna offered pink wristbands to the crowd to show solidarity with the queer community. During the concert, she delivered a passionate speech about LGBTIQ equality. “I feel people are …
Ad supporting Putin turns out a great big homophobic fail
An ad in support of constitutional amendments that will enable Vladimir Putin to remain Russian president until 2036 proved a great big homophobic fail this week. The ad, paid for by allies of the Russian despot, portrays a supposed consequence of not supporting the amendments. In a scene meant to strike terror into the hearts …
WATCH: ‘Gay purge’ horrors revealed in doco ‘Welcome to Chechnya’
A new HBO documentary exposes the horrors of Chechnya’s violent “gay purge” and the brave efforts of activists to rescue persecuted LGBTIQ Chechens. In recent years, authorities have captured, detained and tortured numerous LGBTIQ Chechens for their sexual orientation in the Russian republic. A number have reportedly died. Acclaimed filmmaker David France’s new doco Welcome …
Europe’s 10 best and 10 worst countries for LGBTIQ people revealed
Advocacy group ILGA-Europe has ranked the most and least LGBTIQ-friendly countries in Europe in its annual Rainbow Europe Country Ranking. The yearly list, backed by the European Union, ranks 49 European countries from most to least LGBTQ-friendly. Each country’s ranking is based on how the laws and policies of each country affect the lives of …
Australia needs stronger laws to sanction human rights abusers abroad
Australia needs stronger laws allowing targeted sanctions against nations abusing the human rights of LGBTIQ people and others, a Senate inquiry has been told. The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL) made the call in a submission to the inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Foreign Minister Marise …
Bi woman who fled Chechnya torture wants parents charged
A 22-year-old bisexual woman who was beaten and tortured in Chechnya over her sexuality wants Russian authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against her parents. Aminat Lorsanova filed a complaint with the Federal Investigative Committee of Russia against her parents and a Chechen psychiatric clinic, according to the Russian LGBT Network. Lorsanova was held against her …
Man who sued Apple claiming iPhone ‘turned him gay’ drops lawsuit
The Russian man who tried to sue Apple after claiming that his iPhone app turned him gay has dropped his bizarre lawsuit. The man, known as D.E. Razumilov, filed the suit against Apple for one million rubles ($AU22,800) after he mistakenly received a cryptocurrency called GayCoin rather than the BitCoin he ordered via an iPhone …
Man sues Apple because ‘iPhone turned him gay’
A Russian man is suing Apple because he claims, his iPhone turned him gay. The Moscow Times reports D. Razumilov wants one million rubles because the device bought from the US tech giant lured him into homosexuality. One million Russian rubles equals nearly 29,000 Australian dollars. Razumilov accuses Apple of “manipulatively pushing me toward homosexuality.” …
Gay dads who fled Russia are seeking asylum in the US
Two gay dads who fled Russia because they feared their adopted children would be taken away from them have requested asylum in the United States. Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev left Russia with their two sons, Denis and Yuri, amid a government investigation into the Moscow social welfare agency that let Vaganov adopt the children …
Gay dads forced to flee Russia
Two gay dads forced to flee Russia say they’re “an ordinary family” but feared their adopted children would be removed by homophobic authorities. Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev (pictured) married in Denmark in 2016. Prior to the marriage, Vaganov legally adopted the couple’s two boys. The couple have been raising the boys, now 12 and …