Kenilworth, 14 November 2011 — The UK gay humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) is appalled to learn of the latest anti-gay legislation proposed in Russia.
The legal committee of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly has introduced a draft law prohibiting so-called “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and paedophilia to minors”.
Commenting on this, PTT secretary George Broadhead said: “This is yet another example of the homophobia which seems rampant in Russian society, no doubt fostered by the malign influence of the Orthodox Church. In this instance it is especially repugnant that the Assembly has associated homosexuality with paedophilia. As the St Petersburg LGBT organisation Coming Out points out, the Assembly has chosen to ignore the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, Council of Europe recommendations and other decrees by international organisations of which Russia is a member.”
Reacting to the plea for help from Coming Out, the PTT has sent a letter of protest to Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko, the Russian Ambassador to the UK.