Two brides were permitted to marry in Moscow despite Russia’s ban on same sex marriage.

23 year old Alina Davis (right) and 19 year old Allison Brooks married in early August wearing matching gowns, despite Russia’s ban on ‘gay propaganda’.

The couple were able to marry due to Davis being assigned male at birth. Davis identifies as ‘androgyne’, a non-binary gender identity suited to some who feel they cannot be neatly categorised as either ‘male’ or ‘female’. The Moscow Times reported that Davis is stated as being “psychologically a girl” on her Vkontakte page (a Russian equivalent of Facebook).

In order to ban the marriage, authorities would have had to legally recognise Davis’ non-binary gender identity. The pair were therefore able to take advantage of being legally viewed as an opposite-gender couple.

However, according to Davis’ Vkontakte page, that didn’t mean authorities were eager to approve their union. She wrote that the civil registry officials spent 15 minutes chiding the couple prior to their ceremony.

“She called us the shame of the family and said we need medical treatment … I was afraid my pussycat [an affectionate pet name in Russian] would beat the [expletive] out of her,”

Since their marriage, Brooks and Davis have faced some negative reactions online, with some messages reportedly accusing the couple of ‘subverting Russia’s foundations’. Nonetheless the pair are encouraging other non-binary couples to follow their lead:

“I believe that we have created an important precedent for such a wedding in Russia, for we are not alone in having such problems,” Davis told the Times. “I have written to couples who are planning similar marriages and are afraid of failures with registration. Be aware; you can not be refused.”