RUSSIA: Police Raid Nightclub Owned By Lesbians Who Trolled Anti-Gay Lawmaker

Early this month I reported that the owners of a lesbian nightclub in St. Petersburg had an in-flight encounter with infamous anti-gay politician Vitaly Milonov:

When two Russian lesbians noticed notorious anti-gay lawmaker Vitaly Milonov sitting behind them on their Moscow to St. Petersburg flight, they decided to Instagram some photos of themselves kissing with Milonov in the shot. After their photos went viral on Russian social media, Milonov vowed revenge: "This animal offended all the passengers on the plane with its extravagant, terrible, inhuman antics. I can call the Cossacks - they’re already on their way, with whips and torches. We will expel all the perverts from St. Petersburg."

Following that incident an anti-gay group called "Moscow Isn't Sodom And Petersburg Isn't Gomorrah" filed complaints that over 500 of the nightclub's fans on social media are underage, which would make promoting the club online a federal offense under Russia's so-called propaganda laws. A police raid soon followed:

“I have every reason to believe,” the scripted complaint reads, “that the promotional activities carried out at the lesbian club Infinity pose a serious threat to the physical and mental health of minors who manage to enter the establishment.” The anti-gay group makes no secret of why it targeted club Infinity, citing the “kissing selfies” incident with Milonov on the airplane. According to Vitaly Cherkasov, a lawyer at the Russian human rights organization Agora, police raided the club after receiving roughly 100 complaints from local residents about the supposed presence of minors and illegal drugs. Police have also called in for questioning the nightclub’s general director and social media administrator. Cherkasov says Infinity’s owners believe the police investigation is tied directly to the “kissing selfies” incident earlier this month.

(Tipped by JMG reader Mike)