Part Four NAKED MOSCOW
Anton and Vladimir (ig: krasiyanton, vskalinin)Ever since I moved to Moscow 13 years ago, I never hid my sexual orientation. Neither in the office, nor on the street. I have been living next to my neighbors for about 8 years now. They are a young heterosexual couple and we are very good friends.
Should gay marriage be legalized in Russia? I don’t know what benefits that would bring. We are fine with how things are. We don’t necessarily need a stamp in our passports. I have no problem telling people that he is my husband without all the paperwork. As for the hospital, then I’ll just be alone. If we decide to have a child, we will just make that happen. A marriage certificate would simplify my life only in an administrative way and for legal purposes. It would not enforce any rules or protect our human rights.
…With gays, things are different. Today we have an amazing sex life. Four years from now, it vanishes. In five, we are just friends. So what’s the point? Throughout our whole lives, we would be getting married, then divorced, then married, then divorced.
Of course, we want marriage but that’s because we can’t have it. If we could, that would be another revolution in the history of Russia.
…Sometimes we can hold hands at the movies and make out. People stare, whisper something to one another or throw a dirty look at us. That’s their problem.
…Russia will get there when our generation will be about 70 years old, when people born during the time of the Soviet Union are gone.
My life’s philosophy is that I live here and now. We do have some short-term plans but starting something serious like buying an apartment, getting a dog or kids, that’s not our thing. We are just living and enjoying life.
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