Russia lesbian duo ruffle feathers

The court postponed hearing a complaint from the gay couple over a refusal to let them marry. Judge Natalya Zhuravlyova said the reason for the postponement was the couples disrespectful failure to appear in court.

The couple,Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina Shipitko,arrived 10 minutes after the hearing ended and kissed for the cameras. They said they had been held up in traffic. The authorities are using any excuse to obstruct their quest for matrimonial recognition,Shipitko said.

Earlier in the courtroom,lawyer Nikolai Alexeyev protested the postponement,telling the judge the way you conduct a hearing is a disgrace.

Alexeyev also Russias most prominent gay rights activist and an organizer of gay pride parades later said the judges attitude reflected the official stance toward gays in Russia intolerant.

Fedotova-Fet and Shipitko had applied in May to get married at a Moscow registry office but were eventually refused permission. A court then ruled the refusal was legal and their complaint was to be heard on Wednesday.