itsaboutthejourney

+ 1,000

carlosdca

While these guys may have entered as tourists, the very same article says:
So these guys went through the trouble of getting a Russian Visa to go there and do activism...they got what they were looking for, unfortunately...not worth the trouble.

I agree with the advice above: Don't go to Russia, neither to do tourism much less activism.

Adam1222

I'm thankful for people in history who have gotten what they were looking for and changed the world.

standingoten

Too scary. Not that I was going to visit Russia anytime soon but it is kind of sad how aggressive Russia's political figures are against homosexuals when there are so many other issues to deal with. Yet, there is so much time and energy spent on something with such little impact.

Kiltboys

We were in St Petersburg a year before the restrictive law came into being, and the atmosphere already felt oppressive. We were very careful about PDA's, and stuck to the tour guides rather than our usual habit of wandering off the beaten path.

I would not support the country now. I have a bit of guilt saying "I've seen the Hermitage, but I don't think you should go" (I noticed that sentiment a lot online). Perhaps if they change- as South Africa did- but it will take a lot of time and it sound like they're just getting rolling.

ironmanjt

All the folks saying they'd never go now, just read the above. Another thing to consider: if we all stay away, the chance of them realizing they're in a shell is much smaller. Everyone has stories of the family members who finally grew up a bit when it was 'someone they knew.' Change sometimes takes being on the inside...

Anyways, just another perspective....

bocastephen

It's very naive to think the Int'l Olympic Committee could care less about this law - the Games will go on as scheduled and this probably won't even pop on the the OC's radar. National OC's will likely warn their athletes to be careful while at the Games - even if athletes are arrested under this law (which would be a stretch even for the Putin govt), the IOC will only admonish the athletes for behaving badly and insulting the host nation.

Some interesting architecture aside, there was really no reason to visit Russia before this law, and now you have a good excuse to redirect tourism dollars elsewhere. Russia is a corrupt, lawless, violent country run by a brutal dictatorship and a cadre of well connected benefactors...it's an out of control banana republic on a grand scale.

So many other wonderful and interesting places in the world to visit.

Adam1222

The powers that be are not going to change their mind because of some gay tourists coming and following their laws. There are plenty of gay people already there; you going and staying in an upgraded room at the hilton isn't going to make some grand social change.

bigguyinpasadena

Yet more officially condoned violence against gay folks.
NEVER going to spend a single red cent there
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...paper-chechnya

Adam1222

There's no Hyatt or Le Meridien in Chechnya or cheap business class fares from there, so you probably won't read about it on blogs.

Kagehitokiri

im out of the loop on chechnya, its no longer separatist? what about islam there?

tmorse6570

Saint Petersburg used to interest me, but now there would be no reason I'd ever go to Russia.

Plus Russia recently decriminalized domestic violence in most cases. It's OK to beat your wife once a year now as long as hospitalization is not required? How crazy is that? Sounds like the country is going down the tubes fast.

TominLazybrook

Let me put this into proper perspective. Credible news reports are reporting that security forces UNDER THE CONTROL OF VLADAMIR PUTIN, have rounded up over a hundred Gay men and have murdered 3 of them. When asked, the PR person for Putin's appointed and controlled governor referred without criticism to the fact that he believed that Gay men would be murdered by their own families.

I don't care if its Grozny. Its still Russia and its still under the full and complete control of Putin....Anywhere Putin is in control...is full on no-go.

Adam1222

I'm not sure if you intended to quote me or not, but my quote in no way disagreed with what you are saying, but commented on the sad state of miles and points blogging by prominent LGBT bloggers.

GUWonder

It was the government -- Putin-backed in ways -- that arrested even local community religious establishment persons for violating LGBT-related laws. The forces of the government in Chechnya isn't separatist in real terms. In the old days of more heated separatism there, Chechen separatists were too busy worrying about Russians and Russian spies to go on a hunt like this for gay men. Now, it's the Russian government and its picked subsidiary government in Chechnya going after gay men, suspected separatists and "sympathizers", if different, who don't do as the government wants. They got some people who attend mosques religiously. Go figure.