No Longer Venice's Sister

From RT:
"Friends no more: 'Homosexual propaganda' law leads Venice to break ties with St. Petersburg"

The shadow of tainted reputation has fallen on the city of St. Petersburg as Venice joins Milan and suspends its sister city status. The Italian cities object to the Russian city’s adoption of a controversial “homosexual propaganda” law.  Italian authorities believe the law breaches the rights of the LGBT community. The Italians also say that same-sex marriages must enjoy equal rights with the heterosexual ones. Russia may be moving in the right direction they say; however St. Petersburg has chosen “its own way.”  The decision of the Venice Commune to part with St. Petersburg is now being processed at the Mayor’s office. Milan has already approved the suspension of sister city status, Venezia Today reports.   The authorities in Turin are also preparing an application to the city’s Mayor to officially suspend cooperation with St. Petersburg. The local LGBT community suggested the initiative in Turin.  St. Petersburg’s legislative assembly adopted the law prohibiting “public action aimed at propagandizing sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism, and transgenderism among minors" in February this year. St. Petersburg’s Governor Georgy Poltavchenko signed the law causing a massive outcry both in Russia and internationally.

^ Good job Milan and Venice. It are international actions like these that will hopefully show the officials in Saint Petersburg and the rest of Russia that this anti-gay law is wrong and allows people to openly discriminate against a group of people. I would like to see more programs, exchanges, etc evaluated regarding this new law. If Russia wants to continue to isolate itself and discriminate against others than the rest of the world should voice their opposition and what Milan and Venice did is a great start. ^

http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/propaganda-homosexual-milan-petersburg-913/