Vladimir Putin's gay clown meme banned in Russia
Russia has banned images that depict President Vladimir Putin as a gay clown, claiming the photos represent "extremism". The meme emerged in 2013 after Russia began its crackdown on the LGBTQ community and banned sharing "nontraditional sexual relations propaganda" with children. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is skilled at brushing off "vulgarities" hurled against him.