Mayor in Reykjavik Dresses in Bright Pink for Gay Pride and Support of Pussy Riot

August 13, 2012

Mayor in Reykjavik Dresses in Bright Pink for Gay Pride and Support of Pussy Riot

Three Pussy Riot women currently on trial in Moscow have gained one more voice in their support. Reykjavik’s mayor has wheeled through the annual gay parade in the city in a bright pink dress and balaclava, with a banner urging their freedom.

Miss Reykjavik in 2011 and Drag Queen in 2010, this year he turned up dressed as a member of the Russian girl punk band Pussy Riot.

Screenshot from video by YouTube user porkkalaporkkala

In a bright pink dress and balaclava mask – which usually covers the young women’s faces during their performances – Iceland’s former top comedian paraded through the city dancing on the roof of his trailer. The appearance was accompanied by one of the band’s songs.

Jon Gnarr is not the only Icelander concerned about the fate of the girls on trial. Earlier the star of Dancer in the Dark, Bjork, pledged her support to the band and invited Russian feminists to join her on stage for a “particular song written for the enhancement of justice.”

Three members of the Russian band now await verdict in a Moscow jail for their “Punk Prayer” – a masked performance on the altar of Russia’s main cathedral. The song criticized then-presidential candidate Vladimir Putin and alleged corruption within the Russian Orthodox Church.

Many Orthodox believers took offense to the performance. The prosecution has demanded a three-year prison sentence. The performers have pleaded not guilty t the charge of hooliganism, but admitted they made an “ethical mistake.” The verdict is to be announced on August 17.

Gnarr’s unusual support for the band seems to come as no surprise to Reykjavik. Since he entered politics, the former Icelandic actor has been a source of great entertainment for his countrymen. Once he delivered his holiday greetings wearing a Darth Vader mask, then a Santa Claus cap. Gnarr also proposes that the capital city be nicknamed Gnarrenburg – the title of his earlier radio show.

When running for the City Council, where his Best Party took six out of 15 seats, his electoral promises included those of "free towels in all swimming pools, a polar bear for the Reykjavík zoo, all kinds of things for weaklings, Disneyland”and others.