Russian prosecutors want to ban Dolce & Gabbana same-sex kiss adverts
It's claimed the empowering adverts promote "non-traditional" relationships.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Wiki and Instagram
Prosecutors in Russia have been upset by Dolce & Gabbana adverts featuring same-sex models kissing and are calling for them to be banned.
The two adverts, which first appeared on Dolce & Gabbana’s Instagram page in February, were part of the brand’s ‘Love is Love’ campaign for Valentine’s Day 2021.
Reuters reports that Mikhail Romanov, a member of the ruling United Russia party filed the complaint about the ad featuring two women kissing.
“Propagandizes non-traditional sexual relationships”.
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Same-sex relationships are legal in Russia, but a 2013 law makes it illegal for anything to promote homosexuality and “non-traditional” relationships.
Dolce and Gabbana has declined to comment.
The press service for the courts in St Petersburg says a claim was filed on 14 May calling for the two adverts to be banned, claiming the videos “propagandizes non-traditional sexual relationships”.
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It was confirmed on Monday that the claim included an advert of two men kissing. The press service says the claim has not progressed due to a lack of documents to support the claim.
The case is due to be updated on 7 June, according to Reuters.
Ironically, Dolce & Gabbana designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to championing LGBTQ equality, despite being gay themselves.
“The only family is the traditional one”
Dolce had to apologise in 2015 for remarks he made about gay couples and IVF, describing children born via IVF as “synthetic”. The pair said “the only family is the traditional one”.
The comments drew stinging criticism from the likes of Sir Elton John, who has two children through IVF with his partner David Furnish. Sir Elton called for a boycott of the brand.
Also, in 2018, Stefano Gabbana said he didn’t want to be identified by the word “gay”, saying he is tired of being “identified by [his] sexual choices.”