Russian Monument to Steve Jobs Dismantled After Cook Comes Out

A memorial to Apple founder Steve Jobs was dismantled in the Russian city of St. Petersburg after his successor, Tim Cook, came out as gay last week.

The monument, which was more than six-feet high, in the shape of an iPhone, was placed outside a St. Petersburg college in January 2013 by a group of companies called ZEFS.

ZEFS said in a statement on Monday that the memorial had been removed on Friday, the day after Apple CEO Cook had announced he was homosexual, citing the need to abide by a law combating "gay propaganda."

"In Russia, gay propaganda and other sexual perversions among minors are prohibited by law," ZEFS said, noting that the memorial had been "in an area of direct access for young students and scholars".

"After Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly called for sodomy, the monument was taken down to abide to the Russian federal law protecting children from information promoting denial of traditional family values," they added, according to Reuters.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law last year prohibiting the spread of "gay propaganda" among minors.

Putin believes there is no discrimination against gay people in Russia and the law was needed only to protect young children, though members of the gay community say its passage has only made things worse for them, according to Reuters.

ZEFS, or West European Financial Union, groups companies offer a number of products and services in areas such as real estate, advertising and construction.

Cook said on Oct. 21 that he decided to come out in order to help move forward civil rights, confirming a fact that had been known in the Silicon Valley tech community for a while, but was rarely discussed.

Jobs, who died in 2011, was not gay.

Vitaly Milonov, a St Petersburg legislator who has fought against gay rights and was one of the legislators behind the law signed by Putin, called for Cook to be barred entrance to Russia this weekend, multiple Russia media publications have reported.

Maxim Dolgopolov, the head of ZEFS, ordered the removal of the monument and supports the "protection of traditional values" by law.

"Sin should not become the norm. There is nothing to do in Russia for those who intend to violate our laws," he said, according to Reuters.

The "gay propaganda" law caused quite a stir in the West, especially before the Winter Olympics, which were hosted by Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi back in February.