Russian lesbian couple thwarts Putin, gets legally married

(Image credit: Instagram/all_about_savo)

last updated 8 January 2015

Gay marriage is emphatically illegal in Russia. On Friday, Irina Shumilova and Alyona Fursova were officially married at city hall in St. Petersburg. The two brides were able to accomplish this feat because Russian legal code defines marriage as "a voluntary consent of a man and a woman," and on her passport, Shumilova is still listed as a man, despite the fact she is well on her way to transitioning from man to woman.

Чудесная свадьба!!)) две прекрасные девушки обручились!)A photo posted by Руслан Саволайнен (@all_about_savo) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:20am PST

Not everyone is amused. Vitaly Milonov, a member of the St. Petersburg legislature and author of Russia's original "gay propaganda" ban — adopted by President Vladimir Putin and the national Duma — accused the head of the local registry office of "criminal negligence" for "looking at passports instead of people," and threatened to get prosecutors involved to avoid similar "ugly insults to millions of Russian families in the future." RT has more photos of the happy couple.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.