From boycotting Russian vodkas to a viral video that captures an LGBT-identified teen being brutally beaten and tortured, it’s safe to say that my newsfeed is exploding with some serious Vladimir Putin hate. Why? The Russian President has been getting signature happy on laws that revoke the rights of LGBT folks country-wide. And once I began to hear about all of this, the only thing I could think was: What Would Pussy Riot Do?.

Last year, I remember donning a bright pink balaclava and taking to the streets near the Russian embassy in Toronto. With my fellow punk lovers and protesters, I supported the Russian female punk band Pussy Riot from afar as they were tossed in jail for performing in a cathedral.

Putin’s close ties to Catholicism have been the focus of public attention since his re-election, causing fear that it will influence the passing of laws that revoke religious (and now sexual) freedom. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that post-Soviet Russian secularism is on a forcible decline—along with the freedom to speak out against religious influences in state governance. Pussy Riot experienced this firsthand, and now so is the LGBT community.

On July 3, Putin signed a bill revoking the rights for gay couples to adopt children. Since then, it has been a shit storm for LGBT folks and their supporters. In the short time that has passed since the signing of this destructive bill, Putin has also declared all “pro-gay propaganda” illegal in Russia. Most recently, Putin  brought into existence the right for Russian police to arrest suspected homosexual foreigners on Russian soil. This has encouraged an onslaught of homophobic violence, as well as protests against these laws.

from Vancitybuzz

Things seem to have come to a head with a viral video that reportedly shows a young homosexual teenager being tortured (I have a soft stomach for these things and refuse to watch the video, which is why I say “reportedly”). The video has sparked into protests, arrests, and police brutality. Just yesterday, Putin was quoted as stating that he will not hesitate in arresting “gay” and “pro-gay” athletes and tourists during Russia’s 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Clearly, this tension between a secular public and a religiously influenced government has been building for quite some time. Pussy Riot made these issues worthy of international attention; perhaps we should have taken better heed.

Until things sort out, come OUT and get loud in the streets of Toronto with other activists. There will be a march to Toronto’s Russian consulate on Saturday, August 3.

So, What Would Pussy Riot Do? Well. I’m not sure. But it might look something like this:

taken from: https://www.facebook.com/events/577129392337409/

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