Russian Lesbians Plan to Marry in Toronto, Drama in Moscow

Shipitko and Fedotova-Fet will fly in October to Toronto, Canada, where they plan to marry. They have said they would subsequently urge Russian authorities to recognize the marriage.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993 and was removed from the official list of mental illnesses in 1999.

In May 2005, LGBT Human Rights Project Gayrussia.ru was founded by Nikolai Alekseev to fight discriminations on the basis of sexual orientation and raise awareness of LGBT issues in Russia. In July 2005, Nikolai Alekseev launched the Moscow Pride initiative which has been organized every year since May 2006.

Gay rights demonstrations are not permitted by Moscow, whose mayor has called homosexuality "satanic." Foreign politicians and pop stars as well as dozens of Russians have been roughed up by police and attacked for participating in the protests.

Moscow Gay Pride organisers have filed a complaint against Dmitry Medvedev at the European Court of Human Rights.

They accuse the President of inaction following their request to stage a gay march in the Russian capital in May 2008.

...Even though homosexuality is no longer a crime in Russia, unlike the USSR, post-Soviet society seems reluctant to treat sexual minorities as equals.

Gays say they’re the victims of historic prejudice, what they call ‘homophobia’.

For years they have tried to stage a parade – similar to those held annually in other major cities around the globe. But each time – in 2006, 2007 and 2008 – the city authorities have refused to give the green light to Moscow Pride.