Russia unveils ‘straight pride’ flag
Vladimir Putin created the “gay propaganda” law in 2013. (Getty)
Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has unveiled a ‘Straight Pride’ flag – after getting upset about the prevalence of the rainbow flag.
The rainbow flag has been increasingly prevalent in Western culture in the past few months, with hundreds of companies and brands, and millions of Facebook users, adopting a rainbow logo for Pride month.
The White House was even illuminated in rainbow colours – but in Russia, politicians have taken a rather different approach.
The Moscow branch of Putin’s United Russia party has created a ‘flag for straights’ – featuring a nuclear family with a mother, father and three children. The hashtag on the flag reads “#realfamily”.
According to RT, lawmaker Aleksey Lisovenko told newspaper Izvestia: “This is our answer to same sex marriages, this mockery of the very concept of family. We must prevent gay fever in our country and support traditional values.”
Mr Lisovenko also wants to ban the use of the rainbow flag anywhere in Russia, including on the internet and social media.
The flag is strikingly similar to that used by French anti-gay group Manif Pour Tous – though the Manif flag features just two children.
Anti-gay politician Vitaly Milonov said earlier this year that he wants to ban topless men from appearing in public.
Mr Milonov, who has organised “raids” on LGBT events in the past, said he might close down a gay club for a “joke” after a lesbian couple posed behind him kissing.
Russian police later raided the club owned by the couple.
