How much time have you spent in Russia? I have a feeling all your "knowledge" is from the western media, means you have been totally mislead in this life.

It's not all that hard to find such examples for any country in the world. Try being black in South Carolina.

[to add: I have no interest in defending Russia, and no skin in the game. However the cheap shots annoy me]

You can nitpick all you want. Russia is ranked 57 on the Human Development Index, while the US is 4 and the top 10 dominated by western countries whose values Russians hate. Theres no comparison here and its disingenuous to play up a horrible autocracy like Russia as some wonderful place, although, its sadly, upvote heaven on HN.

When I was 11 I lived in Russia. In a small town. My parents had a gay friend - whom they explained to me was different in his personal life. There was (and still is) a well known restaraunt in that town where gay community gathered. I went there few times with my parents. No one bothered the community. - they are still there. What Russians do not like, and I agree with it, is the open and flamboyant proclamation of one's sexual preferences. Keep it to your own bedroom or gather with likeminded people in a "dedicated" place and no one will mind you in Russia.