Russia recently enacted legislation limiting free speech, including "pro-homosexual propaganda," according to Frommers. The legislation hasn't received much attention from the press, but some travelers have been prosecuted under the law, making it important for tourists to be aware of it.
The law does apply to tourists, and it also seems to pose a possible threat to the upcoming Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to take place in Sochi, Russia. Some politicians and activists are calling for the United States to boycott the Olympics to protest the discrimination.
The anti-gay-propaganda law states that it only covers propaganda directed to minors, though the Russian government has made it clear that people will be prosecuted if there is a minor in the audience of which the propaganda is directed, even if the minors aren't the intended recipients of the message. Some Dutch filmmakers were tried and convicted because of this law after a group that included a 17-year old heard their analysis of homosexual issues.
Among the sentences one can receive are fines, imprisonment and deportation.
Expressions of affection between two people of the same gender traveling in Russia would fall under forbidden activity and lead to prosecution, according to officials of gay organizations within the United States.
This has led to officials of the Olympics wondering if gay athletes holding hands would be considered criminal under the Russian law. The broadness of the law could also prevent gay visitors from speaking about their partners at all, causing concern among officials.
The law also includes a prohibition of anti-religious arguments, part of the law against "hooliganism" that caused the three female members of the Russian band Pussy Riot to be sentenced to two years in prison. Their offense was criticizing President Putin. During their trial, references were also made to "blasphemous" statements the band members had made about the Russian Orthodox Church.
"The new Russian law is extremely dangerous, borne of dark nationalism, and through its virulent ignorance, the stage is set for a witch hunt," a Frommers author told their web site. "History has shown only too clearly what can happen when a government provides for the systematic silencing and disenfranchisement of an unpopular minority."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
