James Kirchick was booked on a Russia Today panel to talk about Bradley Manning, but the 30 year-old reporter and columnist had other plans, immediately hijacking the discussion to talk about Russia’s draconian anti-gay laws.
When the RT host turned to Kirchick for his commentary, he began to pull up a pair of rainbow suspenders and then launched into a ferocious critique of the “Kremlin-funded propaganda network” and the “horrific anti-gay legislation that Vladimir Putin has signed into law,” which was passed unanimously by the Russian legislature.
After realizing that their guest had gone rogue, the host tried to bring Kirchick back on topic. “I’m not really interested in talking about Bradley Manning. I’m interested in talking about the horrific environment of homophobia in Russia right now,” Kirchick replied.
“We’re not going to be silent in the face of this horrific repression that is perpetrated by your Russian pay masters — by Vladimir Putin,” he added.
Russia Today has been widely criticized in certain circles for being nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Putin government. Coverage from the network regarding the conflict in Syria has been overwhelmingly pro-Assad, along with their other foreign affairs reporting consistently bolstering Russia’s foreign policy positions.
In addition, their reporting on the developments surrounding Russia’s “anti-gay propaganda” laws, along with the controversy about gays competing in the Sochi Olympics, have been slammed by critics for presenting a false image that glosses over the dangers that gays face in Russia.
Watch James Kirchick’s segment on Russia Today in the video below.
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