Gay Icon Russian Dolls

Creative agency Mother and The Kaleidoscope Trust are sticking two fingers up at homophobia in Russia this Christmas.

The Russian LGBT community is facing increasingly harsh treatment at the hands of authorities. Attacks on gay people are rising, in a country where homosexuality has been classified as a mental illness since 1999. So, this Christmas, Mother is sending something To Russia With Love.

The agency has created seven limited edition, hand-painted sets of Russian nesting dolls featuring artist’s renders of five gay British icons: Elton John, George Michael, Stephen Fry, Graham Norton and Tom Daly.

The dolls will be auctioned online at www.torussiawithlove.co.uk between the 13th and 22nd December to raise money for The Kaleidoscope Trust and their work with the Russian gay community.

Over Christmas, Mother will deliver a set of dolls to the Russian Embassy in London and The Kremlin as an act of solidarity with the gay community in Russia.

Bidding starts this Friday the 13th of December. www.torussiawithlove.co.uk

The Kaleidoscope Trust works to advance the human rights of LGBT people internationally by listening to, amplifying and communicating their voices to a wider audience, and by standing with them in persuading public and political opinion of the need for an end to all discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. www.kaleidoscopetrust.com