Russian lesbian couple seek asylum in Argentina after getting married
A Russian lesbian couple are attempting to claim asylum in Argentina, after fleeing their home country to get married.
According to the Moscow Times, Marina Mironova and Oksana Timofeyeva have married in Argentina, and want to stay where their union will be recognised.
They believe that a new life in Buenos Airies will allow them to escape from the homophobia they experienced in Russia, and say they chose Argentina because they want to live “freely and safely”.
According to Federación Argentina LGBT, Mironova and Timofeyeva are the first Russian lesbian couple to have married in the country.
FALGBT vice president Verdu Castrosin said his group had been in contact with the couple since late 2012, after Russia passed its anti-gay ‘propaganda’ law.
He said that following the passage of the law, homophobic views in Russia “are becoming more extreme”, with the pair suffering from harassment.
The pair – neither of whom speak Spanish of English – have a 16-year-old son who remains in Russia, but it remains unclear whether he is also seeking asylum.
