AllOut is hosting a petition from St Petersburg lawyer Sergei Kondrashov, calling on Putin to abolish the anti-gay propaganda laws in the city. He has himself been arrested under the new legislation.
Police arrested Kondrashov, along with activist Igor Kochetkov, during a Day of Silence in St. Petersburg as part of a Week Against State Homophobia, last weekend.
Kondrashov had been holding a sign that read: “Our family friend is a lesbian, my wife and I love and respect her. Her way of life is normal, just like ours, and her family is socially equal to ours.”
He asserts that:
Despite arguments made by the bill supporters – that this law was intended to protect children – it’s now clearer than ever that the law is really about making lesbian, gay, bi and trans people disappear in Russia’s second largest city. This despicable law could go nationwide – unless we fight it now.”
Another activist, Igor Kochetkov, was arrested simply for displaying the sign:
No to hushing up hate crimes against gays and lesbians
Here is the petition.
