A gay Moscow official was fired from his job after coming out

In Moscow, city hall employee Alexander Smirnov was fired, who at the end of February told Afisha magazine about his sexual orientation.

Upon his dismissal, he was paid four salaries as compensation for silence, Smirnov himself said in an interview with Yopolis .

“My silence was valued at four salaries, and I went nowhere, promising not to give interviews on the topic of dismissal... After Putin, Medvedev and Lavrov began to declare during international meetings that there is no discrimination against gays and lesbians in Russia. Lies! There is discrimination based on sexual orientation in our country - my story confirms this,” he said.

Now Smirnov works as a journalist and has no plans to leave Russia.

“Most likely, I will live in Russia - the way I think is right, so that I will not be ashamed before God. I am a baptized person and a believer. But just in case, from June I will begin to intensively improve my level of English. The future for the Russian LGBT community It seems to me very pessimistic in the coming years,” Smirnov said.

On June 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is quite liberal in relation to sexual minorities. “There is no discrimination, none at all. We have people of any preference working, making careers, we recognize them at the state level for specific deeds in the area in which they work. I believe that there are no problems here,” the head of state said .