Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party has unveiled a ‘straight flag’ in an effort to counteract the rainbow flag used worldwide as symbol of gay pride
ADVERTISEMENT
Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party has unveiled a ‘straight flag’ in an effort to counteract the rainbow flag used worldwide as symbol of gay pride and LGBT rights.
It was unveiled on the annual Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.
The party says the flag is intended to honour the nuclear family and traditional Russian values.
Putin unveils 'straight flag' to counter LGBTQI rainbow flag. http://t.co/ST2lzgr5RT (Pic: Instagram dyushakovea) pic.twitter.com/LdBtSsH9cS
— SBS News (@SBSNews) July 9, 2015
The flag which has its own hashtag #realfamily in Russian features a father, a mother and three children. The Deputy leader of the Moscow branch of United Russia Aleksey Lisovenko told Izvestia newspaper:
“This is our answer to same sex marriages, this mockery of the very concept of family. We must prevent gay fever in our country and support traditional values.”
Twitter users responded accordingly.
Erk. Russia's Straight Family Pride flag…I mean, statistically speaking one of those kids is probably gay… pic.twitter.com/mFLmUxp0OZ
— Chris Jones (@ChrisJonesGeek) July 8, 2015
Moscow branch of Putin’s United Russia party creates 'straight pride' flag. GIVE ME ALL FACES AND ALL THE PALMS pic.twitter.com/h2roJeFRAe
— Felicity Morse (@FelicityMorse) July 8, 2015
If you merge Russia´s new ´straight´ flag with a rainbow can it represent everybody? #НастоящаяCемья pic.twitter.com/Ew7YKPFPMy
— euronews (@euronews) July 9, 2015
Pride symbol controversy
In recent weeks the rainbow flag has dominated the internet in the wake of the vote in the US to approve same-sex marriage.
But the ruling also courted controversy online after a photo by an artist depicting the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising with the gay pride symbol circulated on social media.
This photo adaptation is a decade old. Last week, it spawned outrage and a death threat. https://t.co/aCXyqYBuzB pic.twitter.com/cNsnpy1OGK
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) July 1, 2015
The photo which was taken more than a decade ago was re-published on social media following the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage. It spawned a backlash against artist Ed Freeman and even a death threat.
In another incident which grabbed the internet’s attention, a 7-year-old girl confronted a hate preacher at an Ohio festival with a pro-LGBT flag.
The moment a little girl bravely showed defiance in the face of hatred http://t.co/dltZXKw89V pic.twitter.com/yFrzQ32cxa
— The Independent (@Independent) July 4, 2015