Product Design: Gay icons as Russian dolls in ace LGBT rights campaign

Date
18 December 2013

Sometimes the best way to challenge injustice and inequality is through humour, an idea that Mother London have again explored in their new project. Horrified by the treatment of the LGBT community in Russia, where homosexuality has been classed as a mental illness since 1999, Mother have worked with The Kaleidoscope Trust charity to create something silly that has a serious point to make. To Russia With Love is a limited edition set of hand-painted Russian dolls but in place of bonneted matrons, the sets feature prominent British LGBT figures, namely Sir Elton John, George Michael, Stephen Fry, Graham Norton and Tom Daley (presumably a late addition). The dolls are being auctioned off on eBay to raise funds for the charity and sets are being delivered to both The Kremlin and the Russian Embassy in London.

With the winter Olympics heading to Sochi next year, more attention will turn to Russia’s gay rights record and this is a tongue-in-cheek way to make a point that we shouldn’t stand for this kind of behaviour in the 21st Century.

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Mother London: To Russia With Love

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Mother London: To Russia With Love

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Mother London: To Russia With Love

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Mother London: To Russia With Love

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Mother London: To Russia With Love

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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