A kiss-in protest against Russia's proposed ban on "gay propaganda" was broken up by police outside Parliament today after gay rights protesters got into a scuffle with anti-gay activists. People on both sides were reportedly detained.
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RT reports:
The first hearing on the bill was scheduled for December 19 and the kissing event was timed to coincide, but when the State Duma postponed the consideration of the draft the activists decided that they would protest twice. The State Duma will now consider the bill that imposes large fines for promotion of homosexuality and paedophilia among minors in January. It has been submitted by the legislative assembly of the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, and similar laws have been approved in several Russian regions, including the country's second largest city of St. Petersburg. There has been huge public debate and an outcry from the gay community.
The organizers of the protest say the bill attempts to make them ‘invisible', to ban them from speaking about their problems and practically “live undercover”. They also claim that by publicly kissing they intended to demonstrate that love is an intimate thing and must not have any relation to politics.
As the gay propaganda ban is slowly moving towards nationwide approval, many Russians have joined the gays in expressing their discontent with it.
