Sweden is trolling Russia’s submarines with a gay sailor
Sweden has designed a delightfully tongue-in-cheek method of dealing with Russian aggression on its borders.
Last October, Sweden sent hundreds of troops and units to sweep its coast, after a Russian submarine was spotted in its waters. The exercise ultimately discovered nothing, which has inspired the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) to devise their own, rather inspired method of keeping those pesky Russians at bay, The Guardian reports.
Dubbed The Singing Sailor Underwater Defence System, but referred to as the “gay sailor,” the device sends out a Morse code message which reads “This way if you are gay.”
It’s a less-than-subtle reference to increasing homophobia in Russia, cemented by the introduction of an anti-gay law in 2013, which banned “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.” Russian LGBT citizens have faced increasing levels of intolerance from both government and fellow citizens.
Sweden, conversely, is incredibly gay-friendly. “Welcome to Sweden, Gay since 1944” is emblazoned on the side of the sonar device, noting the year in which the country legalized homosexuality. Indeed, Sweden has robust LGBT laws, including non-discrimination protections, marriage equality, transgender recognition, and open military service.
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