[lightgreen]

> you can see gay people kissing on the streets without repercussions

I never say gay people kissing (or even holding hands) even in Moscow.

Maybe Russia is not as bad as Syria, but that statement is not true.

[maxmalysh]

YMMV, but check Google Maps to see how many gay bars are there in Moscow.

[lightgreen]

Yeah, but none of them is openly gay. For example, they can't practically display a rainbow flag near the entrance. These are "underground" bars and clubs.

[KarlKemp]

As underground as one can be on Google maps.