Female homosexuality has never been outlawed, for the reason that it is almost expected that women will go through a "phase" sometime in theit teens or 20s. This is why, when the Kremlin wanted to discredit the idea of recriminalizing homosexuality about 2 years ago, it used Zhirinovsky to advance the idea that lesbianism should also be made illegal -- which strikes everyone as a completely ludicrous idea.
This invloves pop culture, so Woj won't care, but this interview with the (now ex-) producer of Tatu I think gives a perfect example of the Russian attitude. Actually the interview is really revealing about Russian pop culture in general:
E: It is better in comparison to the cases with explosions. But here it is--propaganda of homosexuality. This is a rather sharp stroke for a conservative country. Why is it so? Are you against heterosexuality? I: In what?
E: In the relations. I: How can one be against it? One may be against gay-relations.
E: Why? Gay-racism is presently very popular in America. I: I don't know. Why homosexual love? It is a continuation of the relationship. I simply develop it to its final stage. And that's it. In order to create an image. There is such a term in English language--exe... (Ivan cannot recollect the word)--exaggeration, speaking strictly. In other words, there is a law of the creation of the image--to go to the very end. If there are some relations between us…
E: Then, these relations should be provoked and developed. And what is it going to be in the end? I: Homosexual love.
E: Why homosexual? Why is it restricted for girls to sing about their love for a boy? For example, what if they love the same boy? I: But it is more weak.
E: Why? I: Because if in the screen there are two girls, and the story encircles two of them, then it is strong... I don't understand, why, but we may discuss it. Let's say, there is a duet, and their sexuality is directed towards each other--that's is: it separates the audience. And the sexual signal of the artist on the stage, which is caught completely by the partner, leads to the creation of difficulties in the relationship of the duet. The only successful projects are when he writes and she sings. Or, in the opposite manner. As soon as the members of the duet are equal to each other, then there is equal relationship--they don't need anybody else. They have found each other, and they don't have the audience.
E: Listen, but with these girls it turns out horribly. You relate to them as some kind of Adolph Hitler. What is going to happen to their future? You demonstrated the history of their romantic relations to the common public, so that every reporter probably asks them:"Are you lesbians?" It may traumatize. If not know, then afterwards. I: All of life is a trauma.
E: So, you are attempting to accelerate everything, saying, that it has to be led to the stage of the climax. And what is in the end? Chaos? I: Exe… exaggeration. This is the word. I have read a lot of literature on how to make the comedies, how to make the tragedies. There is only one rule: in order for the image to be expressive to the maximum, some of its traits have to be exaggerated. And, so, if something occurred between them...
E: I understood this. I: If I didn't base it on the assumption that something did take place between them, I would gain the attention of the audience, when, due to its age, almost among all girls something of such kind happens. This is why there is such a wild success.
E: Yes, I know, many girls accidentally find themselves in the bed with their female friends. I: And they interpret this friendship in terms of love.
http://eng.tatysite.net/press/press.php?id=669_0_7_40_M
--- Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> wrote:
> To be honest, I do not know for sure, but I do not
> think so. The only
> illegal sex-related activity that I know of was
> abetting prostitution.
> Polish law was very progressive in its letter - for
> example rape was defined
> as a crime against liberty rather than a "deviant
> sex act" provided all
> kinds of protection to women in domestic
> dispute/divorce cases.
>
===== Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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