The Ministry cited articles in the family code when denying the application. Activists for lesbian rights in the country, however, say that the Ministry’s ruling against the establishment of the NGO actually violates the Russian Constitution, saying any NGO that actively seeks to change an article of the Constitution should be allowed to be established.

The leaders of the campaign, however, say they are not just trying to create a controversy with their movement.

“The marriage equality organisation is a long-term movement in which we are going to help Russian gays and lesbians to achieve marriage equality. If anyone wants to fight for marriage rights, we will be always ready to help them, to apply for marriage registration abroad and to ask for its recognition in Russia,” Nikolay Alekseev, a movement activist said.

Currently in Russia, gay marriages are illegal, unlike in other counties such as Canada, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, and a multitude of others. Russia, however, is not alone in denying right for gay marriage. Throughout the years the topic remains highly charged – internationally, politically and socially. The marriage issue has been put on the table of the European Commission time and again and Pope Benedict XVI has been severely critical of UK equality laws, saying too many rights and too much freedom are given to homosexuals in Great Britain.

Members of the Moscow gay community say they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary.

“The key word in this story is visibility. In order to receive social and civil rights we have to be visible by society. And this is exactly what we have been denied by authorities,” Nikolay Baev, movement activist, told RT.