Last week we reported on a social experiment in Russia where two young men spent the day walking the streets of Moscow while holding hands. Things didn’t go so well.
A hidden camera captured an unyielding barrage of insults, slurs, skunk-eyed stares, and physical intimidation, culminating in one extremely tense confrontation.
To shed light on the reality of LGBT life in other hostile areas, Bird in Flight magazine decided to repeat the exercise in Kiev, Ukraine.
Things really didn’t go so well.
How about we take this to the next level?
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A group of neo-nazis or extreme-right men approaches the couple, asking them if they are patriots and getting aggressive.
Once police are out of sight, they pull out pepper spray and blind both men before hurling punches and kicks at them.
Luckily, the project team was at the ready to intervene and prevent serious injury.
Watch the disturbing video below:
Devlin Alan Katz
only in russia that’s why , Putin protect assassins
Stache99
Forget about the gay issue in these countries. I could never visit any country that has such a disrespect for human rights in general. Neo Nazi’s are on the fringe here but seem to be tolerated in much of Eastern Europe. Plus, their violent religion that uses them to do their bidding.
Stache99
Does remind me of the old documentaries of the jews getting beat up on the streets while everyone gawks or joins in. I wonder if they’ll ever stop needing groups to demonize or if it will just always be.
Cagnazzo82
Thing is extreme far-right radicals are trash regardless of any country they appear in on earth. That’s like a universal rule. If they’re extreme far right they’re the dregs of society. So it’s not surprising they would be the first to get violent.
Kudos to these guys though. At least in Ukraine there were some scattered smiles along with all the disapproving stares.
In Russia it’s all scowls 24/7… with scattered physical assaults.
Stache99
@Cagnazzo82: Yes but unlike here the police give the “far right radicals” a blind eye. If it wasn’t for he film crew those guys would’ve been fucked big time.
Imagine the beating they would of got if it wasn’t right out in the open?
enlightenone
@Stache99: “…I wonder if they’ll ever stop needing groups to demonize or if it will just always be.” As long as there are low-life retards with half-inch penises we will need people/groups for brain deficient creeps to harm, disrespect, and/or bully!
RobvR
@Stache99: I understand your point of view. Keep in mind, however, that most people in eastern Europe weren’t even able to be made a difference between pedophiles and gays. In most languages the words for both were the same. The psychological differences aren’t that different. It’ss the times that change the matter.
Lawrence Gisonda
Russian society is f*cked up
Bob Pattinson
Sad to say I’ve seen hostile reaction to gay couples on the streets of my own town in the UK. Equality does not = acceptance.
Realitycheck
Putin has transformed Russia in the cesspool of the world.
I want to see what Putin is going to do to be re elected again,
I smell dictatorship.
Bauhaus
@RobvR:
I was surprised by some of the reaction to gay rights in France, but then again, gays are still referred to as pede (pederaste) there. I cringe every time I hear it.
Creamsicle
This is especiall sad becaue my old high school history teacher said that when he visited the then USSR he saw that it was much more common to see young men holding hands and being affectionate with each other in public. Sad to see that pattern reversing just because it’s an easy scape goat for Putin and his cronies.
Billy Budd
In India it is pretty common for STRAIGHT friends to hold hands while walking in the streets. An Indian guy told me.
Giancarlo85
Not to nit pick, but this is Ukraine… not Russia. Ukraine has a LOT of WORK they need to do if they want to be aligned to the west.
Tarigh Phoenix Daniels
Russia faces huge issues with Racism, Inequality, Homophobia. All this ahead of the Football World Cup in 2018.
Kieran
Seems to be a well-to-do part of Kiev that they filmed this in. No doubt in less cosmopolitan parts of Ukraine the reaction would have been even more violent. I’m not buying that homophobia in Russia is somehow worse than in Ukraine.
Chris Sledge
For the love of God stop doing these experiments before someone gets killed in the process no one is shocked by their actions this type of behavior is not just condoned in these countries it is celebrated so stop before there reactions escalate even further
jwtraveler
@Billy Budd: That’s true in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries. It doesn’t mean they’re tolerant of gay men.
RobvR
@Bauhaus: As do I. People in France are able to know the difference. For them there’s no excuse. But there are bigots in every country. In Eastern Europe it’s different. Most there have never been informed at school or elsewhere. As a result they often (like I mentioned earlier) have no different words for gay and pederast (child molester). It’s simple ignorance but even I can’t blame them. How would you describe the color yellow if you’ve never seen it or heard about it?
Leonard Woodrow
A courageous experiment! We can only try to educate and de-brainwash the misguided fools who believe there is anything wrong with being gay.
Transiteer
Neo-nazis have always hated gays. Scares them. That’s something when most neo-nazis are male, usually about the same age, and spend all of the their time together. What do you think? Yeah, me too.
jason smeds
Ukraine is not a nice place. It’s probably even worse than Russia when it comes to gay rights.
By the way, I’d like to see a similar experiment in the USA. I’d like to see two men holding hands or petting in a black neighborhood, for instance. It’d be interesting to see the reaction.
enlightenone
@jason smeds: Stop being lazy and pick another neighborhood OTHER THAN “BLACK,” for instance!
Aires the Ram
@RobvR: RobvR said: “The psychological differences aren’t that different”
WHAT???? The psych diff between gays & pedophiles ‘aren’t that different’? Did you ACTUALLY write that?
OMG…….
glennmcbride
@Devlin Alan Katz: Perhaps you should actually read the article, this takes place in Kiev, Ukraine
Larry
@Billy Budd: You are right. It’s all about customs. In India when a straight couple is on a date, all the guys are on the dance floor all over each other. The girls are sitting at the table talking.
Shirtless Climber
But it is a quick way to make some sweet girls taking pictures.
stonrdude
I had to turn it off, I dislike violence. Ukrainian people hate gay guys. No tolerance and it invites hate to be openly gay. Neo Nazis are even worse. Being gay in Ukraine and Russia is really a totally indoor life.
TheBigOne
This happens right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. just as well.
silveroracle
So much sadness in the world.
RobvR
@Aires the Ram: Sorry, I probably should rephrase that: In the minds of many Russians, Ukrainians, etc. the difference between a pedophile and a gay isn’t that great because they use the same word for both (though there is slow change). They just hardly know about homosexually because it wasn’t tolerated in the USSR. The last sentence of my other comment explains it better.
dubstepskater
@jason smeds: In the famous words of RuPaul, “Why they gotta be black?” So you are saying that “Blacks” hate gays? Really? All of my black friends know I’m gay and are cool with it… That just made you sound like you have some hidden racial issues.
dubstepskater
@Transiteer: I have thought the same thing….
billforsyth
Russia like most of Eastern Europe doesn’t really get the concept of individual civil and human rights because for over 70 years they were denied the very basic principles of citizenship and democracy .
In that regard Communism and Fascism are practically identical, there is usually an overwhelming loathing of difference all must be the same. There is no place for diversity so that their ideal is a chained amorphous blob of humanity terrified and terrifying .
All of the great cultural ,economic and social movements in the past several decades have come from the liberal tolerant and dynamic societies of the west and with good reason . From a western perspective looking at Russia is akin to looking at a dark and frightening period in history which many had hoped was gone but alas was only in hibernation.
Captain Obvious
@dubstepskater: His race issues aren’t hidden but he’s also a known troll and probably Queerty staff to drum up posts.
RobvR
@billforsyth: Your last sentence is almost poetry, but unfortunatly also the truth.
barkomatic
The only thing that overcomes these barbaric attitudes and behaviors is education–and that’s a slow evolution. The success of gay rights in the West had added credibility to the movement — even in places like Russia and Ukraine. The extreme homophobes are feeling threatened, because Western–and particularly U.S. popular culture influences the entire world. Gay people are appearing much more frequently and in a positive way in TV shows, movies and online.
mezzacanadese
It is very brave for two men to hold hands in Russia. The majority of the populace is anti-gay, I think about 80%. I feel sorry for my gay friends who live there. It is a terrible country to live in if you are gay.
Atldeuce
Truly horrible but are you telling me that you don’t think the same thing could happen here in the US. Don’t be naive.
jd98
Yawn, occurs all the time in central areas of Seattle committed by knwon far left-wing progressives, Queerty don’t care for some reason.
wpewen
This is terrible. Also, people should realize the problems in Russia go even deeper than crazy homophobia. The country is obviously a loose cannon. For those too young, Reagan in infinite mediocrity was going to save us from Soviet Communism (he spent his entire political life yammering about it) When the USSR imploded from inside, he took credit for it. Problem was/is every bad quality of the culture is now running rampant. The gay violence is there. So is out of control substance abuse, organized crime, etc.
My father’s family fled the Bolshevik Revolution. Russians, as a generalization, have never been big on cultural acceptance from outside, with the exception of maybe some Germans and artists from France and Italy. It has always been an insular, fearful country played upon by it’s leaders, from the Czars down to Putin. If you are gay for God’s sake right now either don’t go or if you do do not challenge the authorities. It’s obviously a huge problem.
Blackceo
@jason smeds:
You are so fucking ignorant I actually pity you. Since you obviously think “Black neighborhoods” are all alike I’m thinking in your mind you envision poor, high crime, drug addicts, etc. Like somehow that is only limited to “Black”. But how about we just throw you in a Black neighborhood like that and do an experiment to see how long it takes someone to whoop your ass once you start talking your shit about Black people. Now that’s an experiment I’d pay for and you wouldn’t be able to count on me jumping in to stop Tyrone and his homies when they start giving you a good hood ass whooping.
Mercurical Memo
@Stache99: where have you been? A right-wing radical KILLED 9 people and n a black church. What are you on? And the hateful set over at FOX NEWS turned a blind eye.
Mercurical Memo
@jason smeds: yeah cuz there’s no such thing as black gays right? Are you implying that only white people are gay? Beyond that, what would happen if two gay men walked hand in hand in Duck Dynasty country? What about amongst Pat Robertson’s people? Last I checked neither Rick Perry nor Santorum were black. Stop being a coward and looking for excuses to exercise your racism, have to balls to own it. Then stop whining about homophobia you’re just as ignorant.
Mercurical Memo
If this took place in the Ukraine why are you all continuing the misinformation and calling it Russia?
Maude
Any person, or group that upsets the status quo can expect to be attacked by those that they upset.
If not right here, right now, then as sure as night follows the day, tomorrow.
As we have seen, in the western part of the world. in countries where freedom reigns, populations will respond with violence, but after persistent demonstrations, if the demonstrators are in the right, and most assuredly, Gays are in the right, the tide will turn…but in a Communist country governed by a dictator(Putin) who is adamantly against Gay Rights, there will be unending strife, and misery, and until that system of government is changed, Gays will have to remain underground.
IMO, these two Ukrainians are very brave,they thought by tormenting the Russian public at large, they would gain a measure of the opposition.
I wonder if they realized they were risking their very lives?
Maude
@Mercurical Memo:
As I read it, they were Ukrainians in Russia. where the ruling body exists.
Maude
@Mercurical Memo:
In all candor, I don’t care much for the full accuracy of Fox News, or any of the other news channels…….. but I do care very much for truth.
Fox did not “…turn a blind eye”.
As a matter of FACT, Fox was the only news organization that covered the church murders without commercial interruptions for about two or three hours, and they condemned the act, and the perp greatly.
I was watching FOX, MSNBC, AND CNN the entire day.
AtticusBennett
@Maude: uh, they turned it into “an attack on Christianity!” when it was obviously an attack on the black communities.
Mercurical Memo
@Maude: Actually the dictator you’re thinking of is in Ukraine. His name is Poroshenko. He was placed in power after the previous government was illegally ousted as per the rules of democracy we claim to uphold. Putin was elected democratically and his popularity is rising. Which more than can be said for the United States of America, where indeed a dictator -George Bush Jr.- stole the election and placed himself as president and took the nation into a rogue war. That, is a dictator. Hey, I currently don’t like the Prime Minister of Canada, but hey, such is democracy I have to be patient and wait it out till he hopefully gets voted out next elections. In the Ukraine, they did not do that.
RobvR
@Mercurical Memo: A election be only be won democratically when there is a freedom of press. That’s not the case in Russia so it’s a joke to say Putin won free elections. The revolution in France was also not right according to the law. When the authorities began murdering protestesters they simply loose the right to govern those same people. Perhaps you have forgotten, but Maidan was covered with the corpses of shot civilians. Iamgine that on Times Square.
Maude
@AtticusBennett:
No they didn’t…..but you’re doing a lot of turning yourself.
You brazenly say these things in the face of the fact that you know full well that others have seen the same reportage.
Obliviousness demanding oblivion, obliviously,is delusional madness in the extreme.
Maude
With apologies to AtticusBennett, my post was intended for Mercurical Memo.
As many of you already know, Queerty does not provide an ability to ‘edit’.
Maude
Another mistake on my part……….the post was meant for
AtticusBennett AND Mercuricul Memo.
Mercurical Memo
@Maude: Really Maude? Pay attention… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTDMikn4_3I
Mercurical Memo
@RobvR: Russia has freedom of the press as much as America does. There are plenty of Americans, all of them actually whether on the Left or the Right who accuse the other of manipulating the press. Therefore Americans, whether on the Left or the Right will argue with you about the Freedom of the Press in the United States. Nice try in evading Bush’s election though.
The Crimean crisis of recent is actually instigated by undemocratic actions by the Ukranian government that overthrew the democratically elected Yanukovich. Whether you liked him or not, is really irrelevant. And whether you accuse him of corruption is also just as irrelevant. There are plenty of Italians who will tell you of the corruption of Berlusconi and in spite that, Italy did not illegally oust him as did the Ukranians with Yanukovich. As for gay Ukranians, French magazine Tetu spoke with gay Ukranians who said after witnessing what took place in Greece, they had no interest in the E.U.
Maidan was covered in corpses. Have you not read American history? And yet you opine on a topic you have no knowledge of? Do you know what the trail of tears is? Start with that. And then move on to the notorious lynchings and segregations in a nation where the KKK is still allowed to exist. And where they refuse to call the Charleston shooting what it was a terrorist act.
Unless of course, to you, the only lives that matter are those that serve your personal agenda, or those that are white. Which is it? If indeed, human rights trespasses cause you abhor you would not favour one over the other. But you do, the one that suits your personal agenda. Pick up a history book of American history and then talk to me about Maidan. But I’ll toss you a bone. Death squads of El Salvador. Who instituted that? El Salvador was covered in corpses. That’s one nation by the way.
Mercurical Memo
@RobvR: Oh, and before you accuse me of propaganda, the death squads of El Salvador was reported by the truth commission on El Salvador, written by the Americans. Again, I just tossed you another bone. Why don’t you tell me about Nicaragua now. And the attempted coup d’etat in Venezuela. Oh and the dismantling of the democratically elected government of Guatemala. Oh, and the attack on Grenada. You know what? I’ve given you one too many already. Anyway, after you’ve done all that research come back and talk to me about Putin. By the way, you still have not addressed Bush’s presidency. Remember? Stolen election? illegal war?
Gary_Gans
@Stache99: I agree 100%.
RobvR
@Mercurical Memo: I tried to reply but after more than 12 hours my post is still “awaiting moderation”……
RobvR
@Mercurical Memo: Never mind, even if it will be posted I won’t return to this page again to read any reactions to it. Too late. Too bad, at least now I know I’ll never have to react with a long answer. It’s just not worth it.
o.codone
this is staged, and fake. the guy who sprays the pepper spray checks out the camera as he arrives on scene. he’s looking to be sure everything is okay for this fake attack. then the BS happens. look at it again, it’s all staged. fake.
o.codone
do they look pepper sprayed? no. notice they call the attackers “extreme right”. this is insulting. another effort from the extreme left to make the opposition look like bullies. this is so fake.