Frank, Kazakhstan and revenge on the Russian selfie lesbians

Your Daily Package of newsy and naughty bits from around the world


Russian selfie lesbians raided by police

The two lesbian club owners who snapped a kiss selfie in front of anti-gay Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov have had their business raided by police. A month ago, the two women found themselves on a plane in front of Milonov and snapped a picture with him that quickly went viral. Anti-gay groups in Russia, however, quickly called for their lesbian club, Infinity, to be closed down. Police say they raided the club over complaints about the presence of minors and illegal drugs.

Read more at Global Voices.

Utah police officer: I shouldn’t have to celebrate someone else’s parade

A Salt Lake City police officer who was suspended after objecting to riding a motorcycle in front of the city’s gay Pride parade says he is being treated unfairly because of his beliefs. Eric Moutsos says he simply asked to be placed somewhere other than in front of the parade. “It is unquestionably my duty as a police officer to protect everyone’s right to hold a parade or other event, but is it also my duty to celebrate everyone’s parade?” he said in a press release. The city’s police chief, however, says that he cannot trust police officers who display personal bias on the job.

Read more from the Associated Press.

Frank by name —

The United States’s longest standing and most prominent gay legislator Barney Frank has released his memoir, Frank. In an interview with The Washingtonian he talks about how Washington used to be a safe place for gay men to stay in the closet, and in the LA Times he discusses his pragmatic view on politics.

Kazakh senate passes anti-gay propaganda bill

A Russian-style bill banning the dissemination of information “promoting non-traditional sexual orientation” has passed the Kazakh senate. The bill’s sponsor said that such information could be “spiritually devastating” to young people.

 

Read more at Pink News.

US marriage backlash begins in earnest

The US LGBT activist group The Human Rights Campaign has released a warning about a growing wave of state legislation targeting gay employment and economic rights. As same-sex marriage becomes legal across the country, state lawmakers have introduced over 30 bills to secure businesses the right to discriminate against gay employees.

Image: Twitter @oldLentach

Niko Bell

Niko Bell is a writer, editor and translator from Vancouver. He writes about sexual health, science, food and language.

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