Co-Creator of Russia's 'Homosexual Propaganda' Law Wants to Ban Gay Bars

One of Russia's lawmakers who helped create the infamous "homosexual propaganda" bill, which was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin last summer, is now urging for all gay clubs and LGBT social media pages to be banned, Gay Star News reports.

Vitaly Milonov, who represents St. Petersburg in the Legislative Assembly, said that LGBT bars and dance clubs are "destroying Russia" and that they must be banned in order to "rid the country of evil."

Milonov is currently in Sevastopol, a city in Crimea. According to GSN, authorities in the peninsula told the LGBT community that gay pride parades will be banned due to Russia's controversial gay law.

"St Petersburg and Moscow should take a cue from Sevastopol and eradicate the experimental practice of sodomy," Milonov told Gay Russia (translation by Gay Star News). "We must no longer have gay parades, gay shows and clubs. All social media pages for homosexuals should be removed."

The lawmaker went on to say that if gay clubs aren't banned, "it will destroy the unity of the nation."

"If the city needs help removing the evil, then I will certainly help," he added.

Milonov was in the news last year after saying that Russia's "homosexual propaganda" law would not be suspended during the 2014 Winter Games, held in Sochi, Russia. Although his comments caused an uproar from many human rights activists, the measure was in fact not suspended when the sporting event took place in February.

"I haven't heard any comments from the government of the Russian Federation, but I know that it is acting in accordance with Russian law," Milonov told the media last July. "And if a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn't have the authority."

Last November he came under fire yet again for saying LGBT activists are to blame for the violent attacks against them.

"Unfortunately, not everybody manages to stay calm, some behave inappropriately," Milonov said. "But to say that some of our activists went with pneumatic guns to a homosexual den... It's a great pity that the guy got it in the eye, but I think it was a planned act of provocation."