Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It was a picture from the music video for “I Want To Break Free”.
We all have our favourite musicians. Maybe you have a poster of them at home, maybe a picture from when you met your heroes after a concert, or maybe some kind of memorabilia.
But you have to be careful about what you post and where on social media — at least if you live in Russia.
While the band Queen is regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time in most of the Western world, the Russian authorities have a very different attitude toward the legends.
At least toward one of their most famous music videos.
Court ruling upheld
A Moscow court has upheld a fine against 22-year-old David Gevondyan for sharing an image of the Queen members dressed in women’s clothing, according to the independent Russian outlet Verstka.
The image was a still from the band’s 1984 video for “I Want to Break Free,” in which members appear in drag.
Article continues below.
Click to display external content from twitter,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
The court ruled that the image, posted on the Russian social media platform VK, amounted to “LGBT propaganda” and contributed to “destroying family values” and “distorting the idea of the relationship between a man and a woman,” Verstka reported, citing the verdict.
Gevondyan appealed the initial ruling issued last March, arguing that the image was part of a well-known music video and carried no political message. The court rejected the appeal, stating that the post had “no musical connotation.”
Broader crackdown
The judges also cited other content on Gevondyan’s VK page, including images of two men kissing and photos of men in miniskirts, stockings and wigs.
According to the court, these posts portrayed “non-traditional sexual relationships as natural” and posed “a threat to the country’s demographic growth and economic development,” Verstka reported.
While the size of the fines was not disclosed, Russian law allows penalties of up to 200,000 rubles (approx. 2600 USD) for online material deemed to promote “non-traditional sexual relations.”
The court additionally sentenced Gevondyan to 10 days in jail for displaying what it described as an “extremist” symbol, after he posted a flag historically used by Ukrainian nationalists.
Sources: Verstka, Kyiv Post
