Ikea to halt Russia website due to gay ‘propaganda’ fears

Retailer to stop online magazine over concerns it breaches sexual orientation laws

Swedish furniture retailer Ikea  said it is to halt its online magazine in Russia due to fears it contravenes the country’s sexual orientation laws. File photograph: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea said it is to halt its online magazine in Russia due to fears it contravenes the country’s sexual orientation laws. File photograph: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Ikea says it is halting its online magazine in Russia because of fears that it violates the country's law banning the promotion of "gay values" to minors.

The Swedish retailer said its magazine, Ikea Family Live, “demonstrates various aspects of home life regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation”.

In a statement, the world’s largest furniture retailer said: “We understand that some publications in our magazine can be considered as propaganda.”

The law passed by Moscow in 2013 bans the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relations" to people under the age of 18.

READ MORE

PA