Swedish group trolls Russian navy with flashing gay sign

A Swedish peace group has come up with a novel way of deterring suspected Russian submarines from the waters around Stockholm: an offshore flashing neon ‘gay sailor’ sign.

Dubbed ‘The Singing Sailor Underwater Defence System,’ the waterproof box displays a gyrating semi-nude sailor alongside the message “Welcome to Sweden — gay since 1944”. The sign was placed underwater late last month and also transmits the message, “This way if you are gay” to passing vessels in Morse code.

The Singing Sailor from Swedish Peace on Vimeo.

The group behind the stunt, the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS), say the sign is a cost-effective alternative to expensive military searches for Russian submarines, which have been sighted around Swedish waters with increasing regularity over the last few years.

The message is a play on the fact that homosexuality has been legal in sweden since 1944, while Russia has recently introduced a series of controversial anti-gay propaganda legislation to ‘protect’ the nation’s children.

SPAS was founded in 1883 and as heralded as the “world’s oldest peace organsiation”, winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1908.

The group’s chairman Anna EKk said: “If military action and weapons had worked as conflict resolution methods, there would have been peace in the world long ago.

“If there is a submarine down there beneath the Baltic waves and the crew should happen to see or hear the Singing Sailor they are welcome to join us in the Stockholm Pride Parade on the 1st of August”.

There have been no sightings of Russian subs around Sweden since the sign was put in place last month, just sayin’.

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