June 21, 2017 ( Vancouver, BC ) - A top European court has issued a sharply worded rebuke to the Kremlin over its so-called "gay propaganda" law, saying it breaches human rights laws by reinforcing the stigma around homosexuality and encourages homophobia. Russia has come under serious criticism for passing an "anti-gay propaganda" law in 2013 which forbids anything to be said about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender ( LGBT ) Community to people under the age of 18 years.
Vancouver Author Robert Joseph Greene has been campaigning for the law to be repealed since his gay short fairytale love story "The Blue Door" was used by Russian protesters. Greene, who has been receiving hate mail from Russians, has also been receiving messages via Facebook from terrified youths in Russia asking for help.
"I have repeatedly said this Russian law violates basic human rights as set by the United Nations, " says Greene "and now the European court agrees."
In 2013, with the help from the United Nations Human Rights Council ( UNHRC ), Greene was the first "Westerner" to address the Russian public in an OP-ED piece printed by the Moscow Times addressing the human rights violation of the newly passed Russian "gay propaganda" law.
"The Blue Door" is a short story from Greene's book The Gay Icon Classics of the World II which is a collection of gay love stories from different cultures. The story is about a Tsar who proclaims that his three sons could marry anyone they choose but he didn't figure one of his sons would pick a man for his life partner. The story has been used by LGBT activists across Russia to bring awareness about love equality.
Icon Empire Press is a Vancouver based publisher of LGBT literary works that set out to fulfill the understanding of the human spirit.