PinkNews.co.uk – Tony Grew
Russia’s first international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film festival, Side by Side (“Bok o Bok”), has been causing controversy.
Conservatives within the country’s artistic community have called for the event to be banned.
The State Artist of Russia Nikolai Burlyaev has publicly called gay people “perverts” and homosexuality a “sin” and an “illness” and demanded St Petersburg authorities stop the event.
However, city officials have said they will neither support or ban the film festival.