On Sunday, April 8th, Sergey Kondrashov was arrested for holding up a sign that stated, “A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her … and her family is just as equal as ours”.

This is the first use of the new anti-gay St Petersburg law, which states that any pro-gay statements (termed “propaganda”, of course) are a punishable offence. (For more on this story, read The Trend for Anti-Gay Laws in Russia.) Kondrashov is making a stand against the law, and asking Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, to stop the extension of this law to the rest of Russia. His arrest shows that this is not just a scare tactic but that it is a law that is going to be enforced.

AllOut has started a petition to support Kondrashov, which states:

“Sergey doesn’t think of himself as an activist. He’s just someone who thinks that all Russians – gay or straight – should be treated equal under the law. If you believe that it should never be illegal to defend the dignity of your friends and family who are gay, lesbian bi or trans – please stand with Sergey, and sign this petition to the Russian Prime Minister.”

Please click here to sign it.