I don't think anything would be different if he was a woman.

How deftly you dodged half of the question. What if he were a gay woman?

I didn't dodge the question, because I agree with the first part -- Russia is a horrible country with a corrupt government that imprisons/kills activists and journalists.

I only disagree with a minor detail you mentioned -- there would be no difference if he was female, because in Russia there is no discrimination against women (at least not more then in any Western country).

I think they're referring to this: http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/latest/17811861/russias-p...