President Putin makes 'surprising' statement about LGBTQ

President Putin speaks at the 9th International Cultural Forum on January 17.

RT on November 18 quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying that members of the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other orientations) and their culture are part of modern society and should not be banned from representation at cultural events or competitions.

However, such themes should not be mandatory criteria for winning competitions “as is often the case in the West,” he said at the 9th International Cultural Forum in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on November 17.

Mr Putin was responding to a question from renowned Serbian film director and screenwriter Emir Kusturica, who asked about the leader's views on the LGBTQ theme becoming a mandatory requirement to win some film competitions in the West.

“Yes, we see that at various competitions in Western countries, in order to win something, you need to tell, write or show the lives of sexual minorities, transgender people and various names for them,” the Russian President replied.

"But I'll tell you something surprising. They also, these topics and these people have the right to win… because this is also part of society. This is also how people live. It's bad if they just win every competition, it's not useful," he added.

The president stressed that "equality" must be a universal principle, including in cultural competitions.

What does the Kremlin say about the possibility of Mr. Putin running again for Russian president in 2024?

The International Cultural Forum is currently taking place in St. Petersburg through November 18. This year, the major international event is themed “Forum of United Cultures”, bringing together representatives from about 70 countries around the world.

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