CALL TO BAN TIM COOK FROM RUSSIA

One of Russia’s most vocal anti-gay lawmakers has called for Apple CEO Tim Cook to be banned from the country after the business leader came out as gay.

Vitaly Milonov, a notoriously homophobic member of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, told the FlashNord website that no good could come from the news about Cook.

“What could he bring us? The Ebola virus, AIDS, gonorrhoea? They all have unseemly ties over there,” said Milonov.

He added: “Ban him for life.”

Milonov is a fan of banning things and people. He was one of the champions of the city’s local gay propaganda law, which was later emulated through a similar federal law across the rest of Russia.

It is believed that Milonov was also behind pressure being put on Moscow venues to pull out of hosting the first gay Open Games in February, almost leading to the event’s collapse.

While filming a documentary about the lives of gay people around the globe last year, gay British actor and presenter Stephen Fry spoke about a discussion he had with Milonov.

“Milonov doesn’t seem to believe there are teenagers bullied and tormented for being gay, he thinks they make it up… He regards liberals as the destroyers of Europe,” said Fry.

On Thursday, Cook became the first Fortune 500 CEO to come out as gay.