LGBT activists protest against Russian airliner Aeroflot
Breaking News, Top Highlights Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Maxim Kupreev | Photo Credit: GayRussia.eu via Gay Star News
A small group of LGBT allies and activists are protesting Aeroflot Thursday amid accusations of forcing a gay male flight attendant to marry a woman. The rally unveiled a 20-meter-wide banner protesting the airliner at the entryway of Sheremetyevo Airport, later descending into the airport terminal.
The demonstrators called for a national boycott against Aerflot and its airline partners including Air France, KLM, and Delta Airlines because of the airliner’s anti-gay policies.
The boycott comes in wake of gay flight attendant Maxim Kupreev who says he was forced by Aeroflot to marry a former high school girlfriend following a suggestion he made to create an LGBT group within the company. After Aeroflot caught wind of Kupreev being gay, he says he was asked to marry the woman or else he would lose his job.
According to Russian tabloid MK, the airliner declined to host an LGBT group within its company structure because they claim to not have any gay employees.
“We have already worked out a number of slogans which underline a double meaning of the word ‘marriage’ in Russian which we are going to communicate with the public in the context of Aeroflot’s activities,” said Nikolai Alekseev, founder of Moscow Pride in a statement to Gay Star News.
One sign read “Sensation! A pill against homosexuality is found! Aeroflot” while another raged, “Aeroflot – Sky Team. Sham marriage. Gays demand divorce.”
The boycott is slated to continue until Aeroflot accommodates LGBT employees and creates fair and equal policies for their staff.
Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=20600
Posted by LGBT Weekly
on Feb 9, 2012. Filed under Breaking News, Top Highlights.
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