Top Pol: Gays Have No Chance In Crimea

Crimea's top politician today said that gay people "have no chance" now that Russia has taken over the region. Via the Guardian:

Speaking about gay people during a Crimean government session on Tuesday, the region’s de facto leader Sergei Aksyonov said “we in Crimea do not need such people.” In comments reported by the Russian news agencies Interfax and Itar-Tass, Aksyonov said that if the LGBT community tried to hold public gatherings, “our police and self-defence forces will react immediately and in three minutes will explain to them what kind of sexual orientation they should stick to.” He added that Crimean children should be brought up with a “positive attitude to family and traditional values.” Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum that was deemed to be illegal by the United States and European Union.

Askyonov is believed to have ties to the Russian mafia. He has twice been investigated for murder (1997 and 2004) but has evaded prosecution. (Tipped by JMG reader Bob)