Out WNBA Star Brittney Griner Detained in Russia
Lesbian Phoenx Mercury player taken into custody at an airport in Moscow
BY MATT TRACY
Out lesbian WNBA star
Brittney Griner was
arrested at a Moscow
airport last month for
possession of vape cartridges with
marijuana oil, fueling fears over
her safety at a time when Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has further
damaged the relationship between
the United States and Russia.
Griner, who has spent her entire
WNBA career with the Phoenix
Mercury, was passing through security
at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo
Airport when a working dog allegedly
sniffed out vape cartridges,
according to Russia’s Federal Customs
Service. Tass, a Russian state
media outlet known for disseminating
ropaganda, identifi ed that
individual as Griner on March 5.
“The customs inspection of the
hand luggage being carried by the
US citizen confi rmed the presence
of vapes with specifi cally smelling
liquid, and an expert determined
that the liquid was cannabis oil
(hash oil), which is a narcotic substance,”
➤ LGBTQ UKRAINIANS, from p.10
Pylypenko and Globa acknowledged
that Ukraine still has much
more progress remaining in the fi ght
for LGBTQ rights, but they hailed
the work underway to foster a more
inclusive society. In 2015, Ukraine’s
parliament voted to implement anti
discrimination protections on the
basis of sexual orientation and gender
identity. Men who have sex with
men have been allowed to donate
blood since 2016.
Like many places in the United
States and elsewhere, Globa said
cities like Odessa and Kyiv have
gay bars and clubs, while rural
areas tend to be more conservative.
His mother, who remains in
Ukraine, founded an organization
for LGBTQ parents in the country.
Pylypenko, meanwhile, said he
was widely embraced when he came
out after his fi rst stint in the military
— and he knows trans troops
who have found acceptance.
Team USA’s Brittney Griner commands the court during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at
Saitama Super Arena on August 6, 2021
the Russian government
said in a statement. The allegations
against Griner have not been
independently verifi ed.
Russian authorities released a
video showing Griner at the security
checkpoint. It remains unclear
when exactly Griner was arrested
or how long she has been held.
The WNBA star could face a decade
behind bars on drug charges.
Griner is the latest American to
face a harsh punishment in Russia
following a pair of high-profi le detainments
FACEBOOK
Viktor Pylypenko fi rst fought in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
“As defenders, we had a high
level of respect from civil people, so
they easily could accept our second
identity — our gay identity — and
through that, we created an umbrella
for the whole LGBTQ community,”
he said.
National pride has become a
main theme for a country that
has united under President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy, who has called
on citizens to take up arms. Globa
and Pylypenko said Ukrainians
have been undergoing self-defense
USA TODAY SPORTS/KAREEM ELGAZZAR
in recent years. In 2020,
former US Marine Paul Whelan —
who is also a British, Irish, and
Canadian citizen — was hit with a
nine-year prison sentence for allegedly
assaulting two police offi cers,
while Trevor Reed, another former
Marine, was sentenced to 16 years
behind bars for alleged espionage.
Concerns over Russia’s treatment
of American prisoners are
compounded by the Kremlin’s aggressive
crackdown on LGBTQ
rights since President Vladimir
training — and citizens have been
making Molotov cocktails.
Putin’s rhetoric has intensifi ed
at a time when the Russians have
encountered fi erce resistance from
Ukrainian forces during the early
days of the invasion. The Russian
president has issued ominous
warnings to the west, boasting of
his nation’s nuclear capabilities,
but that has not deterred Ukrainian
citizens.
“Members of the LGBTQ community
are already at war fi ghting
on battlefi eld,” Pylypenko said. As
his nation was under siege on February
25, Pylypenko told Gay City
News Ukrainians have scrambled
to enlist in the military.
“The number of people willing to
defend the country is immense,” he
said. “Our brigade has enormous
queues. We waited two days for our
documents, uniforms, equipment,
and weapons.”
LGBTQ Ukrainians who are not
fi ghting have been raising money,
SPORTS
Putin approved a 2013 gay propaganda
law. Out queer people in
Russia have complained of harassment,
stalking, and abuse.
American Secretary of State
Antony Blinken, speaking in Moldova
alongside President Maia
Sandu on March 6, responded to
Griner’s arrest by vowing “to provide
every possible assistance”
to any American detained in the
world, including in Russia, though
he hesitated to provide much information
about Griner’s case due to
privacy reasons.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, issued
a public statement on Instagram
on March 6.
“Thank you to everyone who
has reached out to me regarding
my wife’s safe return from Russia,”
the note stated. “Your prayers and
support are greatly appreciated...”
Griner, who has been named a
WNBA all-star seven times, won a
WNBA title in 2014 and most recently
received her second Olympic
gold medal as part of the undefeated
American team at the 2020
Tokyo Olympics.
aiding in medical efforts, and preparing
items for soldiers at war, Pylypenko
said. He urged other countries,
including the United States,
to continue supporting Ukraine.
Out gay State Senator Brad Hoylman
of Manhattan — who was one of
the speakers at the Stonewall demonstration
— announced that he was
proposing legislation to expose the
companies led by Russian oligarchs.
While many countries are imposing
sanctions on Russia and
Belarus, others are sending weapons
to Ukraine. Ukrainians know,
however, that they are otherwise
fi ghting the war on their own because
the country is not a member
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO), which stipulates
that an attack on one member is
an attack on all.
“Our unity is our main instrument,”
Pylypenko said. “We don’t
have any foreign troops in Ukraine;
we only have our local army. We are
ready to accept any challenges.”
GayCityNews.com | March 10 - March 23, 2022 11
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