Russia arrests LGBTQ+ TikTokers for violating ‘gay propaganda law’
Social media stars Gela Gogishvili and Haoyang Xu were both arrested for breaking Russia’s so-called ‘gay propaganda law’. Russian-born Gogishvili, 23, and Chinese national Xu, 21, crossed paths on a dating app two years ago after Xu moved abroad to study in Russia.
Since then, the pair have been dating in Russia, living in the city of Kazan, and sharing their experience with followers online.
The duo, who have over 65,000 followers on YouTube, share snippets of their lives together – holding hands and sharing a bed together, and recreating popular TikTok videos.
On April 6, Xu was arrested for promoting ‘non-traditional sexual relationships’, the Metro reports. The couple were stopped in the street where the 21-year-old was demanded to show documentation, such as a passport or student visa, which he did not have with him at the time.
