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Crimea Chief Says Gays Not Needed


The senior official in Crimea says sexual minorities "have no chance" on the peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in March.

Speaking about gays during a Crimean government session on September 2, Sergei Aksyonov said "we in Crimea do not need such people."

Aksyonov said that if gays tried to hold public gatherings, "our police and self-defense forces will react immediately and in three minutes will explain to them what kind of sexual orientation they should stick to."

He said Crimean children should be brought up with a "positive attitude to family and traditional values."

Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum that was condemned as illegal by the United States and European Union.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law last year that Western governments and activists say curtails gay rights and encourages discrimination.


Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS

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