Move over Gabrielle Douglas, we’ve got a new hero to look up to — though in Gabby’s case we were kinda looking down. Anygay, meet Anton Krasovksy, a Russian TV personality who decided to come out on live television, leading almost immediately to his dismissal.
“I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma,” Krasovsky, 37, said earlier this year in January on the Kremlin-backed television and internet network he helped launch, KontrTV.
Though his admission was followed by a “storm of applause” by the audience and the show’s staff, Krasovsky was fired the very same night. By the next day, his presence had been completely erased from the network’s website; all of his corporate accounts and his email were blocked.
Krasosvky was surprised because “it takes them half a day to put up a banner when I ask them to, and here we had such efficiency.”
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Any footage of his coming out has also completely disappeared from the internet, which is a feat in this day and age, but we guess the moral here is never to underestimate the Kremlin. That, and drinking whiskey helps everything. Krasovksy reflected on his firing shortly thereafter with Snob.ru, revealing that he had “some 300 grams of whisky” before coming out.
Krasovsky’s announcement in the vehemently homophobic Russia was an incredibly brave decision, and an equally controversial one, considering the current climate for the nation’s LGBT community. Violence, kidnappings, murder not to mention a law against disseminating homosexual “propaganda” to children, which has come under intense international scrutiny with the Winter Olympics being held in Sochi next year.
In theory, homosexuality itself is not illegal in Russia, but with such rampant oppression, there’s very little difference compared to if it was. Krasovsky recently appeared on CNN where he was asked why he would risk everything by coming out in such a public way.
“Because somebody should do it,” he replied.”I decided it was time to be open. It was time to be open, for me.”
h/t: Miami Herald
Scribe38
Very brave man! I look up for you sir.
iMort
As Harvey Milk said, the most important thing is for every gay person to come out! Visibility brings about change.
balehead
Cool!!!
the other Greg
“Though his admission was followed by a ‘storm of applause’ by the audience and the show’s staff… ”
Is the audience’s positive reaction a good sign? I find it intriguing because I’ve been making the (incorrect?) assumption that Russia is about 30 to 40 years behind W. Europe & N. America in gay rights. But maybe they’re a little further along than that.
After all, if a TV host in the US in the 1960s or even the ’70s had come out on the air in similar circumstances, his studio audience would NOT have been supportive at all; they would have booed and hissed at him – and oh yeah, he would have been fired immediately. It was not THAT long ago when we were pretty backward too.
Also, how cool that he likes whiskey! See, another reason to skip the vodka.
Kangol
Very brave of him. What Russia is doing toward its LGBTQ communities is beyond inhumane and disgusting, and needs to stop immediately!
1EqualityUSA
300 grams = 10.5821886 ounces. Liquid courage?
Polaro
Let’s hope someone gets him out of Russia and give him a job.
jason3219391571
every single person on earth has had anti gay thoughts . it is impossible for someone to go through life without gay thoughts. Most people deep down know being gay is wrong,but they are just pretending they approve of it to go along with the powerful gay lobby. Everytime you gays kiss another person of the same sex you know it is wrong.so why do you need me telling you it is wrong? Because i want to pile on. oh dear, not pile on that way.
now go listen to show tunes and cher.
Gigi Gee
Very brave man! He lost his job but he grew his spirit. Canada is accepting gay Russian refugees who’ve been persecuted by the police re: the anti-gay “propaganda” law. Maybe we can convince him to move here. He’d make a great husband. I love Russian men!! [The not homophobic kind that is.]
Ottoman
He’s certainly braver than queerty’s craven pals Stoli vodka, which they openly admit gets all its ingredients in Russia. They claim to be steadfast gay rights supporters but can’t find the courage to say so in Russia.
whatisthis
@jason3219391571: Yes, every single person on Earth has had anti-gay thoughts. Why? Because of society. Most societies condone homophobia, even the most LGBT friendly nations. This is mostly because of religion. If you look at societies BEFORE Abrahamic religions were embraced (Ancient Greeks, Romans, etc.) homosexuality was very rarely seen as bad. It was even common to an extent, because people of that time were smarter than us in that they knew that human sexuality was not black and white at all. Nowadays, people LOVE labels.
So, do yourself a favor… get educated on the subject. And please, get over your Middle Ages way of thinking.
the other Greg
@jason3219391571: “it is impossible for someone to go through life without gay thoughts.”
Ha ha, I’m sure you have a lot of them. Here’s suggestion, try drinking 10.5821886 ounces of whiskey in a gay bar and see how you react!
fagburn
This happened in January – are you that desperate for hysterical anti-Russian stories?
B Damion
I wish I had been given the luxury of coming out on my own in my own time. But, being a little effeminate, people sort of pushed me out and just told me that I was gay.
So, Id like to com out as well.
I am gay y’all. I am gay.
lol..it felt good.
ChiChi Man
@jason3219391571: “every single person on earth has had anti gay thoughts”
LOL You know every single person on earth? Have you ever ventured outside of your small, inbred town? I’ve traveled to 6 continents, and assure you that every single person on earth has NOT had anti-LGBT thoughts. LGBT people have lived without trouble in many societies — including African nations — until Christians exported virulently anti-LGBT ideas and rhetoric.
MK Ultra
@jason3219391571: I think you meant to say that every single person on Earth has, or will have Gay thoughts. How do I know this? It’s simply nature. Of course for some it will just be a passing curiosity. For others it will become a reason to experiment. For others yet, it will be their true sexuality.
Your entitled to your opinion. But that is surly all it is.
And one that is becoming more and more unpopular every day.
Why am I telling you this? I want to pile on, oh Dear, not pile on it in that way. Not with you. Not even on your best day.
Now go back to jerking off to porn of one Miss. Piggy Gallagher.
john
Brave man living in an awful country!!
B Damion
@john …He white! He’ll be aight!
john
@B Damion: i beg your pardon?
Alan down in Florida
@jason3219391571: If we ignore you will you go away?
B Damion
@john…many pardons… your grace. What I meant to say was..” HE IS A WHITE MAN,SO HE WILL BE JUST FINE.”
Joetx
Best of luck to Anton. That was extremely brave, considering what a rabidly homophobic country Russia is.
I have to disagree with him on one point – Putin IS a fascist.
P.S. That CNN person was AWFUL! She seemed antagonistic towards him the entire time. Plus, although English isn’t his mother tongue, I could tell he was saying “fascist.”
P.P.S. He looks like a more attractive version of Tony Romo.
john
@Alan down in Florida: Damion don’t be so touchy i didn’t write anything bad about you,calm down.