A nude charity calendar has been ‘banned’ from sale in Russia for promoting homosexuality, according to the rowing club that created it.
Warwick Rowers say orders of their 2018 calendar have been turned away from the Russian border on six separate occasions, and they are expecting more.
While no official reason was given for the rejection, founder Angus Malcolm believes it has been banned under the country’s ‘gay propaganda’ law.
Warwick Rowers say their nude charity calendar has been banned from Russia under the country’s ‘gay propaganda’ laws
The club says orders of its calendar to the country have been stopped by Russian border agents on six separate occasions
The Warwick Rowers website was also crashed by a Russian IP address days after the first of its calendars were rejected
Angus Malcolm, founder of the club and LGBT activist, firmly believes the calendar’s links with the gay community is behind Russia’s decision to try and shut it out of the country
Under the legislation, which was voted in near-unanimously in 2013, any material deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ was outlawed.
Mr Malcolm, who is an LGBT activist, said the rowing club website was also brought down by a Russian IP address just days after the calendars were turned away.
The calendar was started in 2009 to raise money for the boat club, but now raises money for Sports Allies, a charity aimed at tackling homophobia in sport.
Mr Malcolm said: ‘Putin is promoting precisely the kind of toxic masculinity that Sport Allies and the Warwick Rowers are here to challenge, and homophobia is a core part of it.
‘Our Russian LGBT supporters are being subjected to growing hatred and discrimination. It shouldn’t be tolerated in any society anywhere in the world, but I fear it is just a foretaste of things to come for many more of us.’
In the eight years that the calendar has existed it has gained legions of fans and a celebrity following, with the likes of Kris Jenner, Kylie Minogue and Sir Ian McKellen supporting it.
The calendar was started eight years ago as a way to raise money for the club but now donates to and LGBT charity
The calendar now has legions of fans, including celebrities such as Kris Jenner, Kylie Minogue and Sir Ian McKellen
Every year sales of the calendar raise a six-figure sum which goes towards eradicating discrimination from sport
Sport Allies was started because of the calendar and works to promote inclusion and eradicate homophobia from sport