Russia Bans Picture of Putin As Gay Clown

The crackdown on free speech and dissent in Russia knows few bounds.  Vladimir Putin’s image or name are often treated as virtually sacred as when people were arrested for showing the authoritarian leader in underwear or spitting on his image in protest.  Now the Russian Justice ministry has banned this image of Putin as a gay clown as “gay propaganda” promoting homosexuality.  Of course, the greater concern may be promoting free speech in a nation rapidly replacing individual rights with a cult of personality.

The image was first produced after the enactment of the “gay propaganda” law in 2013.  It was posted by a man named Alexander Tsvetkov.

This is now the 4,071^th banned item for the Russian government.