Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly requested his services on Monday to summon the Russian ambassador to Ottawa, Oleg Stepanov, following a series of anti-LGBT+ tweets, including one directed at an openly lesbian federal minister.
Messages posted by the Russian embassy’s Twitter account echo the Duma’s adoption last week of a bill banning any LGBT+ “propaganda” or “promoting non-traditional sexual relations” to all audiences. , in the media, on the Internet, in books and in Film (s.
“The Russians have once again chosen hate propaganda,” said Emily Williams, a spokeswoman for Melanie Joly.
“This is an attack on Canadian values of acceptance and tolerance. Minister Joly asked the department to summon the Russian ambassador to convey this message to him, ”she added.
“An attack on basic human rights”
The Russian tweets included a photo of a rainbow flag crossed out with a red line and accompanied by comments. “It’s about the family. The family is a man, a woman and the children.”
The embassy also attacked Canadian Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge, who is openly lesbian, after she denounced “Russian homophobic propaganda.”
The minister had stated in particular that “the treatment of LGBT+ people in Russia is a disgrace and an attack on fundamental human rights.”
“We cannot tolerate this rhetoric, let alone comments about Minister St-Onge,” Canada’s Foreign Office said.
Source: BFM TV
