2011-07-07 10:49:00
Moscow, July 7, Interfax - Russia's flag airline, Aeroflot, has denied allegations that a sexual minority activist group has been set up within the company.
"This whole story is a patent lie and provocation directed by some ill-wishers against the Aeroflot steward Maxim Kupreyev. Maxim has never set up any LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] group in Aeroflot, he has given no interviews to anyone nor has he complained about any restrictions on his rights or the like," Aeroflot told Interfax-Religion.
On Tuesday, one of the leaders of Russia's LGBT movement, Nikolay Alexeyev, said news had come on June 20 that Aeroflot personnel had formed a sexual minority activist association.
"Personnel associations of this kind already exist in other airlines across the world, including Air France-KLM, Aeroflot's main partner in the SkyTeam global alliance. Members of that group yearly take part in gay pride parades in Paris," Alexeyev said, adding that the group had been founded by a flight attendant.
Alexeyev said the Moscow city administration had forbidden LGBT activists to hold a rally outside an Aeroflot office in Moscow in support of the alleged group.