Azerbaijan: Pride rally held with no arrests or violence

Participants covered their faces and raised rainbow flags

There were no arrests or reports of harassment during a small gay pride rally, believed to be the first of its kind, that was held in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, Pink News reports.

Citing a report from Oxu News, Pink News says the event unfolded in a “friendly atmosphere and without incidents” on Sept 7.

Participants reportedly covered their faces and raised rainbow flags high over their heads.

Even though homosexuality was decriminalized in 2001, Azerbaijan’s LGBT citizens still face police harassment and brutality, blackmail and intimidation, among other threats, says UK gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.

The country is bordered by Russia to the north and Iran to the south.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

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