GAYLETTER

Ok, full disclosure: I am totally obsessed with the press storm surrounding the Sochi Olympics. Sure, we may have our own set of LGBTQI issues stateside that still need a ton of work, but it pales in comparison to the severe anti-gay legislation happening in Russia. So anything, even the Olympic games, encouraging the global media to hone in on and question Russia’s laws has been pretty gratifying to watch and examine. While there’s already been a wealth of essays, music videos, and artist collaborations drawing attention to these human rights issues thus far, none have been quite as poignant as Gay Propaganda, a new book of Russian love stories compiled and edited by Joseph Huff-Hannon and Masha Gessen.

The book plays on the Russian law passed last summer that prohibits the spread of “gay propaganda” — literally anything that advocates, presents, or portrays homosexuality to Russian children. The book is comprised of a “collection of interviews and first person testimonials from gay and lesbian Russians, with a focus on their romantic lives,” opening an intimate window into the struggles of Russian men and women dealing with government-supported homophobia. It’s a refreshing, human take on the very real impact these laws have made in people’s lives so far, the consequences of which can never be reiterated enough.

Gay Propaganda can be ordered through OR Books now.