Moscow ( CNN ) A Russian politician behind a controversial anti-gay propaganda law has been caught up in a social media storm in which he is pictured in a photograph of two women kissing . Vitaly Milonov was on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg when he was photographed by two women who took a selfie of themselves kissing in front of him . Milonov was the driving force behind a law that bans `` propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors . '' As a lawmaker with the ruling United Russia party , he ensured the legislation was first passed in his home city of St. Petersburg before it was adopted across the country . In the past , he has called lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people `` sick '' and `` crazy . '' Spotting him on their flight , the two lesbian activists kissed , took a selfie and uploaded it to Instagram . Ksenia Infinity , one of the women in the photo , posted on her Vkontakte page ( Russia 's version of Facebook ) that `` as fate would have it , he was sitting in the row behind us . '' She went on to say , `` Milonov did n't say anything . We did a photoshoot with him in the background . When he noticed what we were doing he hid behind his tablet computer . We are very happy . He probably is n't . But who cares ! '' Ksenia told CNN that she was `` delighted by the positive global reaction '' to the photo after it went viral on Twitter and was `` liked '' by more than 1,000 people on Instagram . Milonov lashed out at the photographer , saying `` I am tolerant towards all sexual minorities . '' He went on to say : `` This shows that these people are not of a normal sexual orientation , but that their sexual deviance shows in all aspects of their lives . I did n't understand what they are doing but they have a nice sense of humor . I also have a good sense of humor . I will perhaps continue this joke by closing their gay club in St. Petersburg , or ban them from having meetings in public places , that 's also a funny step . '' Milonov is currently working on legislation that would ban marriages in Russia between transgender couples . It comes after two people were able to get married in wedding dresses in St. Petersburg last year because one of them , according to passport information , is a man . At the time , Milonov told CNN that he was working to get the marriage annulled and that the people who allowed it to take place were `` psychologically sick . '' He suggested that Irina Shumilova and Alyona Fursova should be committed to a `` mental asylum '' and that gay people who want to get married `` should go to the United States . ''
Russian politician behind anti-gay propaganda law pictured in photograph of two women kissing . The bill was introduced by the Duma on December 12 and is expected to be passed into law.