A bakery in Russia – yes, Russia – has been fined for hanging ‘no gays’ sign outside
An image taken inside of the bakery (Instagram)
A bakery in Russia has been fined for hanging a sign outside that banned LGBT+ people from entering.
The Ipakov Brothers bakery in the city of Kemerovo, Siberia, hung a wooden sign that read “no gays” when it opened in February.
Speaking to the 360tv.ru news website, owner Anton Ipatov said the sign did not discriminate against anyone.
The Kemerovo central district court has found Ipalov guilty of “inciting hatred” and fined him 10,000 rubles ($150).
According to the Moscow Times, the court ruled the sign “humiliates homosexuals as a group of people distinguished on the basis of sexual orientation”.
Ipatov told the court that he hung the sign because of his “personal convictions” and concern that LGBT+ people in his shop could “affect his children”.
He added that “he makes natural food” and “everything unnatural is alien to him”.
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Earlier this year, the mayor of a town in Russia agreed to hold a Pride parade, but later banned it fearing that children might see it.
LGBT+ rights activist Nikolay Alexeyev headed a campaign for “freedom of assembly for LGBT+ people” in 380 cities in Russia.
Originally, the town of Strezhevoy was the first to agree.
Alexeyev posted on the Russian social media site VK on July 12: “The authorities of the city of Strezhevoy in the Tomsk region have just agreed to hold a gay parade march!
“The action will take place on July 24! Strezhevoy may become the first city in Russia where the gay parade procession will take place with the approval of the authorities.”
However on July 14 he posted again to say that the mayor had backtracked, making increasingly difficult demands including changing the route and time of the parade before banning it completely.
