Barbie Breakout, a well-known German drag queen and DJ, sewed her
mouth shut to protest Russian anti-gay laws.
The laws, signed in recent weeks by Russian President Vladimir
Putin, prohibit gay and lesbian couples from adopting Russian-born
children and the public promotion of gay rights. The nation's “gay
propaganda” law prohibits the positive portrayal of gay men and
lesbians in a venue where children might be present, effectively
outlawing everything from Gay Pride marches to the simple act of
wearing a rainbow pride pin in public.
In a video posted on YouTube titled Open Your Mouth,
Breakout, without saying a word, takes a needle and thread and begins
sewing her mouth shut. In
a voice over, a narrator discusses the discrimination LGBT people
face in Russia and urges viewers to “open your mouth.”
Speaking to German daily Die
Welt, Breakout said: “The pain I felt inside when I had to
see in the media what is happening in Russia was greater than the
physical pain of the needle. My partner held the camera while I did
it. But he couldn't look. In my youth I had more holes in an ear
than through my mouth in this performance. Apart from a small bruise
on my left upper lip, everything has healed up again. It was about
symbolism, not about self-harm.”
(The video – which is graphic and may be inappropriate for some
viewers – is embedded on this on page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)