Russia has added a digitally altered image of President Vladimir Putin in heavy makeup to its list of banned extremist materials, saying the picture suggests Putin is gay. The offending image is number 4,071, which the ministry describes a “man resembling the president” whose makeup “hints at the Russian president’s allegedly nonstandard sexual orientation.”The Putin in makeup picture’s addition to the list of extremist materials stemmed from a court case in May in the city of Tver. The government’s description of the extremist image of Putin mentions painted eyelashes and lips, as well as a caption that uses a homophobic slur. Human rights groups and activists widely condemned the discrimination, and protests around the world featured images of Putin in makeup. Cris Toala Olivares / Reuters A demonstrator holds up a picture depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin with make-up, during a protest by the gay community in Amsterdam April 8, 2013.

Source: Huffington Post April 06, 2017 00:00 UTC