A snapshot of a pair of lesbian-rights activists smooching in front of anti-gay lawmaker Vitaly Milonov on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg has gone viral since it was uploaded to the VKontakte social network on Sunday.
Milonov confirmed the photo's authenticity to the FlashNord news agency, which focuses on northeast Russia. "These crazy idiots were so brave that after taking the photo they ran to the end of the plane, sat there and didn't even stick their necks out until the end of the flight," he was quoted as saying.
Milonov is well-known for his disregard for LGBT rights. He is the lawmaker who submitted the St. Petersburg legislation that served as a basis for Russia's controversial federal law prohibiting so-called "gay propaganda" among minors.
He made headlines in December for raiding a St. Petersburg gay club in a bid to find and detain any underage teens. The local squad of riot police that had accompanied Milonov detained a number of minors. "We found around 20 teenagers there that were practically having sex on the stage," the lawmaker told news agency BaltInfo at the time.
The airplane photo was uploaded by user "Kseniya Infinity," whose page promotes a "girls-only" club in St. Petersburg. She also has an impressive 10,000 friends on the network. Maybe next time Milonov will reconsider whether to fly coach.
Contact the author at p.spinella@imedia.ru
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.