Russian Authorities Shut Down Gay Film Festival

Authorities in Saint Petersburg, Russia have effectively shut down the first-ever gay film festival there as it was set to open Thursday.

The Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival was scheduled to open on Thursday, but now appears postponed at best after fire department inspectors closed the clubs (The Place and Sochi) where the films were to be screened, festival organizer Irina Sergeeva told gayrussia.ru.

It's believed that authorities also pressured the state-run Cinema House and a private theater to cancel their commitments to host the event, which pushed the event into bars and clubs.

The gay film festival has been controversial in a country where gays and lesbians continue to be marginalized. State Artist of Russia Nikoli Burlyaev had urged authorities to ban the festival, calling gays “perverts” and “ill.”

 

Russian Authorities Shut Down Gay Film Festival
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