Cops in Russia shut down My Little Pony convention over fears it was too gay-friendly

More news is emerging of Russia’s increased crackdowns on its queer citizens and anything deemed to promote LGBTQ+ lives.

The latest report concerns cops turning up at a My Little Pony convention in Moscow on Saturday. In response, organizers of the ‘Mi Amore’ event, aimed at adults, swiftly shut it down.

“The police received a complaint claiming that our event promoted non-traditional relationships and related symbols, adult content for minors, and general horror and darkness,” organizers wrote on Russian social media site VK Sunday, reports the Associated Press. “Two police checks did not uphold these complaints.”

Late last year, a Russian court declared the “global LGBTQ+ movement” to be an extremist organization. Shortly after, the Russian movie database Kinopoisk amended its rating for the My Little Pony animated series to 18+. The show featured a same-sex couple in 2019. It also has a character called Rainbow Dash, who has a rainbow mane.

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Organizers of the Ti Amore event said cops asked them to close the event earlier than planned. They decided to close it even earlier after hearing that more cops were on the way.

Organizers and volunteers were both allowed to leave without incident.

Club event raided and “feminine-looking men” detained

In a separate development, outside of Moscow, cops raided what they believed to be a queer club night and beat up some of those attending.

The Telegraph reports that the Typography club in the city of Tula (100 miles south of Mosco), held an event promoting “love, openness and sexuality”.

Russian media showed footage of one attendee, lying in the snow outside the club, being kicked and beaten. A man in military attire stood nearby, watching.

OVD-Info, a Russian rights organization, said, “The security forces forced the party participants to lie on the floor. Those present were photographed, beaten, and threatened with being forced into the war in Ukraine.”

The group says security forces picked out nine of the “most feminine-looking” men from the party. It took them to a police station to charge them with spreading LGBTQ+ propaganda.

Other police raids have taken place on gay bars in Moscow and St Petersburg in recent months.

Related:

Police raided four gay bars in…Seattle?

According to The Stranger, two gay bars — The Cuff Complex and The Seattle Eagle — received citations over clothing.