July 5, 2013
Tilda Swinton Stands Up for Russia's LGBT Community
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin singed the highly controversial anti-gay "gay propaganda" bill into law last month, Academy Award-winning actress TIlda Swinton is defending the country's LGBT community by proudly holding a rainbow flag in front of Moscow's Kremlin. The image of Swinton has gone viral and spread across social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter, like wildfire, Gay Star news reports.
"In solidarity. From Russia with love," Swinton, who won the Academy Award for the 2007 film "Michael Clayton" said in a statement.
Last month, Putin signed the so-called "homosexual propaganda" bill into law, which fines large sums of money to people, organizations and businesses, that give information about the LGBT community to Russia's minors. Similar laws have already been enacted in various regions in Russia, including St. Petersburg.
The anti-gay measures don't stop there, however. On July 3, Putin signed a law that prohibits same-sex couples in foreign countries from adopting a child from Russia.
Swinton joins other celebrities, like Madonna and Lady Gaga, who have called out Russia's government for passing anti-gay measures and trying to silence the country's LGBT community.
Though the laws have gained international attention and gay rights supporters and activists have sharply criticized the measures, some conservatives from the U.S. are lauding the anti-gay bill.
"You admire some of the things they're doing in Russia against propaganda," said Austin Ruse, president of the U.S.-based Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. "On the other hand, you know it would be impossible to do that here."
As the Associated Press reports, Ruse plans on traveling to Russia this summer to meet with government officials and civic leaders.
"We want to let them know they do in fact have support among American NGOs (non-governmental organizations) on social issues," he said.
Ruse isn't alone in his support, however. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is pleased that the bill was signed into law.
"Russians do not want to follow America's reckless and decadent promotion of gender confusion, sexual perversion, and anti-biblical ideologies to youth," he said on his website.
