In doing some follow-up research for my December 9 post titled, The Immorality Of Sax, I happened across this interesting article from the Tri City Herald.
In his July 26, 1983 article titled, Saxophone Only Banned Instrument, columnist Sydney Harris writes:
That while some musical compositions have been banned in various countries, only once in modern history has a musical instrument itself been banned — the saxophone was prohibited in the Soviet Union for some years, the instrument was confiscated, and several hundred musicians sent to concentration camps, as part of the Cold War campaign against “decadent bourgeois jazz.”
Clearly the jazz scene has warmed up a lot in Russia since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Jazz is very much alive and live in well in Russia, as evidenced by Jazz.ru—The Russian Jazz Web Central.
We also know that at least one Russian musical instrument company makes saxophones. Russian-made horns like these pop up on eBay occasionally.
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
So if Mr. Harris is indeed correct, then we are among a very special group of musicians: A select few who were actually persecuted due to our saxual orientation. 
😉
