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A gay rights activist holds a board displaying 19th century Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva during an unsanctioned protest rally to defend the rights of Russian gays and lesbians in St. Petersburg, in this April 7, 2012 file photo. Along with a planned new law banning the spread of gay “propaganda” among minors, President Vladimir Putin has also overseen a religious revival that aims to give the Orthodox Church, whose leader has suggested that homosexuality is one of the main threats to Russia, a more public role as a moral authority. The number of documented cases of violence against gays in Russia is low. But there are no official figures on anti-gay crime in Russia, and gay rights campaigners say the numbers available mask the true number of attacks on gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people. Most go unreported, or are not classified as such by the police. (Photo by Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
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