Russia has refused to sign a declaration issued at the 9th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers which included an article against discrimination of LGBT youth.
On the night before the conference, Russia’s minister of education , Dmitry Livanov, stated ‘we need to find new forms to enhance tolerance and socialization.’ But the next day REFUSED to sign the declaration because it had a requirement to combat discrimination and violation of rights of LGBT youth. Livanov declared that ‘they” [LGBT’s] are not discriminated against in Russia and have all the rights as other citizens.
By refusing to sign and make such a declaration after the past years news of LGBT harassment and anti-gay laws being passed in St Petersburg. Russia openly declared support for discrimination against its LGBT citizens which outraged many especially infuriating the education ministers of Belgium and Sweden.
Polina Savchenko, director of St. Petersburg’s Coming Out LGBT organization, said: Russia’s politics is oriented towards less and less freedom, especially for LGBT people, restricting self-expression, access to information and freedom of assembly.
Russian LGBT rights advocate Nikolai Alexeyev told Gay Star News: “I think Russia is becoming more aggressive because there is increasing pressures from all sides, from the European Union, the United Nations, international diplomacy and so of for more protection of LGBT rights.”
‘Russia is simply isolating itself from the modern world, while advocating its perspective of traditional values.‘