25 LGBT+ Activists Detained in St. Petersburg
Russian police have apprehended 25 LGBT+ activists on Saturday, Reuters reports.
The activists held an unsanctioned protest in St. Petersburg’s Palace Square directly defying city officials who denied their request for a rally. The protesters were dragged by police into vans and taken away, although there is no report of violence.
Since 2013, it has been illegal in Russia to positively depict the LGBT+ community in public. The so-called “gay propaganda” laws forbid any discussion of LGBT+ rights, display of Pride symbols or flags, or any affection between members of the same sex. Those who disobey those laws face fines of up to 500,000 rubles.
Although homosexuality itself is legal in the country, the LGBT+ community faces massive amounts of discrimination. A recent Pew Research poll in 2017 found 75 percent of Russians find homosexuality morally unacceptable.
(Image above via Reuters)
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