Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party unveils 'straight flag' to rival gay pride symbol

While homosexuality is not illegal in Russia, Mr Putin introduced a law in 2013 that bans symbols which promote "non-traditional" values.

Therefore, in response to the LGBT movement's rainbow flag, the United Russia Party unveiled a banner celebrating the traditional, nuclear Russian family. The flag depicts two parents - a woman and a man - holding hands with three children.

It was unveiled at a party rally in Moscow's Sokolniki park on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, an annual country-wide celebration held on July 8.

Andrei Lisovenko, deputy head of the United Russia branch in Moscow, told the Izvestia newspaper, "This is our response to same-sex marriage, to this mockery of the concept of the family.

"We have to warn against gay-fever at home and support traditional values in our country.

"We are speaking of the traditional family. We mean the average standard Russian family that is ours: mother, father and three children."

The flag was launched alongside the hashtag #realfamily and it comes in three different Russian-coloured backgrounds.

On social media, many were quick to point out that United Russia may have a plagiarism case on their hands, given that the flag of La Manif Pour Tous, a French group against gay marriage, is incredibly similar to the Russian one - the only difference being that United Russia's nuclear family has three children, while the French stopped at just the two kids.

Others were just as quick to have fun mocking United Russia's attempt to rival the rainbow flag.

A Stonewall spokesperson said: "A #realfamily is not determined by sexual orientation or gender identity, but love. That sentiment is certainly missing from this flag as is, in our opinion, a splash more colour. It’s also another example of how much work we still have left to do to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic attitudes and behaviours."

(independent.co.uk)