World News

Influential Russian News Anchor: Gay Hearts Should Be Burned As Unsuitable

Dmitri Kislev denouncing Russian LGBT people on state TV

By Brody Levesque | MOSCOW, Russia -- The news anchor of the Russian news programme Vesti, in an appearance Thursday on competing Kremlin-controlled Russia 1, said Russia's law against "gay propaganda" doesn't go far enough.

Dmitri Kisilev told the host and the audience:

"I think that just imposing fines on gays for homosexual propaganda among teenagers is not enough. They should be banned from donating blood, sperm. And their hearts, in case of the automobile accident, should be buried in the ground or burned as unsuitable for the continuation of life."

Kisilev's remarks were well received by the studio audience who broke into applause. Russia 1 is part of the TV network that is state-controlled by the Kremlin.

Watch: [ Russian Language]

Canada

Canadian Minister Says Canada Will Accept LGBT Refugees From Russia

Staff Reports | SURREY, British Columbia -- Canada’s Immigration Minister Chris Alexander told reporters Monday that the country's refugee board will favorably review asylum claims by LGBT people fleeing persecution in Russia. Alexander noted that refugee claims “related to this particular issue will of course be looked at very seriously by our very generous system.” He added that that Russia has taken the wrong path in restricting the fundamental rights of its gay community referring to the newly passed law banning homosexual “propaganda” which has caused a firestorm of global criticism and condemnation.

Under Canadian law gay asylum-seekers are accepted in the same fashion as other persecuted groups. Asylum-seekers can file a claim after they arrive in Canada because they face persecution by their government, or because they are persecuted by others and their government(s) do not offer protection(s).

The Immigration and Refugee Board said that there are typically between 140 and 225 Russians a year who arrive in Canada and claim refugee status, and about half are usually accepted. However, the agency said it does not keep reliable detailed statistics on how many claim asylum because they are fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation.