Russian authorities are reportedly investigating a series of children’s stories that have been characterized as a threat to the country’s cultural values because they present gay relationships in a positive light, The Moscow Times reports.
Opponents of the series are said to be particularly concerned about the title Families: Our and Theirs, by Vera Timenchik, which includes a brief account about gay marriage in different countries.
Well-known novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya, who is the editor of the series, has written to prosecutors to say that the authors’ objective is not to promote homosexuality but says that “we all oppose the homophobia that has been unleashed in our country,” the report says.
Last June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an anti-gay law that prohibits so-called propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors.
Ulitskaya is quoted as saying that the aim of the book series is to create awareness about cultural diversity and teach teenagers to respect people who are different from them. She notes that a number of teens with gay parents have thanked her for the series.
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