Sunday, November 15, 2009

Russian Lesbian Couple First to Challenge Russia's Anti-Gay Marriage Law by Marrying in Canada

Irina Shepitko and Irina Fedotova-Fet, a Russian same-sex couple who tried to marry in Russia, but were refused this summer by a Russian court, traveled all the way to Toronto, Canada and married there on October 23, 2009.

They hope that their marriage will help advance their struggle for equality and acceptance back home. With the support of their lawyer, Nikolai Alexeyev, they intend to pursue their case for human rights for gays and lesbians in Russia, to Russia's Supreme Court and to the European Court of Human Rights.



Events organized by Egale Canada; camera by Alex Lisman and edited by Nancy Nicol.

Related Stories:

Russian court denies lesbians the right to marry: (pinknews.co.uk)
Lesbian Couple Takes on Russian State in Fight for Same-Sex Marriage (rferl.org)
On Nikolai Alekseyev: Russia to Gays: Get Back into the Closet (time.com)

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