Ukrainian police recently raided Potemkin, a gay club in the eastern-central city of Dnipro (population 966,400). A local activist claims 25 to 30 police officers bursted in at 1am, forced the 30 patrons to lay face down on the club floor for three hours while police opened the windows to the 41 degree weather, confiscated their cell phones, yelled anti-gay slurs and jokes, injured one man and forced two foreign-born patrons to sing the Ukrainian national anthem.
While the club’s owners and some visitors have reportedly filed complaints against the police’s actions, the police claim that the raid was to investigate claims of prostitution and “management of brothels.” The police allegedly confiscated laptops, cellphones, condoms and other objects from the club, but didn’t list several missing items on their official log of confiscated items, according to the local “Nash Mir” LGBTQ Center.
Related: A year before Stonewall, gay men fought police sex raids on Fire Island’s “Meat Rack”
In a statement about the incident, the Nash Mir LGBTQ Center wrote:
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It turns out that the National Police of Ukraine considers sexual contacts of adult men as immoral acts, a regular activity of a night club (dances and shows) as a criminal offense, and distribution of condoms as promoting debauchery…. The police also provided no explanation of their clearly illegal, unprofessional and unethical actions, harassment of the club’s visitors who were not accused of any crime.
We strongly condemn these obviously homophobic and illegal actions of the police in Dnipro city. At the time when there is no shortage of genuine criminal offenses in Ukraine, including hate crimes based on sexual orientation, the police actually engaged in the fight against gay sex between adult men by mutual agreement!
We want to separately emphasize that to prosecute so-called “distribution of pornography” and “running brothels” (Articles 301 and 302 of the Criminal Code respectively) is an anachronism in the modern democratic world and an instrument of selective pressure if this affects the voluntary actions of adult individuals.
Indeed claims of prostitution are used throughout the nearby Middle East as a pretext for harassing and arresting openly LGBTQ citizens.
The video below contains 36 seconds of footage taken by police during the raid.
In nearby Russia earlier this month, police in the northeastern coastal city of Arkhangelsk, Russia raided the local LGBTQ center, “inspecting and withdrawing materials” from the center and detaining “volunteers, lawyers and five volunteers” inside, according to Gay Star News.
Chrisk
Unfortunately the police are the real thugs and criminals. Besides Russia I sure as hell would never come anywhere near that shit hole of a country. Just way too messed up and corrupt
ShiningSex
we’re getting there too with the orange maggot. he’s the most corrupt president ever!!!
rayk
We have already been there! I was alive when cops in the USA raided gay bars bashing heads and basically having fun beating up gays and destroying bars. Yes I lived through it and saw it. Also when I was in Canada I was staying at the baths for the weekend instead of a hotel it was cheaper and more fun then a hotel. Anyway the cops came in and raided the place when I was not inside it (thank God). But they confiscated the membership ledger of all members and posted it in the newspaper. Also as an American I was not allowed back in the country because I was considered a sexual devient!!
I fear that we will be back where we were if that Trump asshole is reelected.
ShiningSex
Yet another disgusting country like Russia, North Korea. We will become close to this LBGT hate if we keep the orange maggot in office. If you’re gay and voted for Trump, you’re a f*cking self loathing moron
joelk57
Yet another reason to have no financial dealings with Russia or the Ukrain in the future if funding of any type slows then they will back down.
Money is always the root to stop this bullshit Behavior.
Joshua333
Yes yes, but it’s interesting the way they went about it, mistreating everyone, I mean did they go to any non-gay clubs and treat them horribly too?
unreligious
And more often they do not have illegal activities going on and are being set up by the police.
DavidIntl
Just in the interest of accuracy, Arkhangelsk is certainly not “northeastern”.
stranger2myself
You should write to touchy-feely uncle Joe Biden to contact his friends in Ukraine, or his son that allegedly works there in natural resources national company. Since he earns there millions of dollars. Also he’s doing shady businesses with corrupted Ukrainan government. You don’t believe me? Well look for videos from we are change on YouTube. So guys, since uncle Joe is starting his campaign maybe he will love to help prosecuted lgbt as he loves to mention in his speeches. Clearly you can’t ask Trump.
ocahan
I must have misread the article.