The tougher law is just one way the war in Ukraine has made life worse for LGBTQ Russians. Rights groups and advocates who previously defended sexual and other minorities have been branded as “foreign agents.” Many were driven out of Russia.
How Moscow’s Moral War in Ukraine Led To Bashing of LGBT Russians
January 7, 2023
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Moscow’s war in Ukraine brought harsh tactics against gay Russians at home.
The idea of Russia as a defender of traditional Christian beliefs has been used to justify Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. And it has driven the Russian Parliament to tighten restrictions on LGBTQ “propaganda.”
Washington Post:
In December, Putin signed legislation making it illegal to promote or “praise” same-sex relationships, to publicly express non-heterosexual orientations, or to suggest they are “normal” — expanding a 2013 law that prohibited spreading “gay propaganda” among minors. That ban now applies to all ages.
Legal experts said the new ban was drafted vaguely to sow confusion and maximize the potential for prosecution and hefty fines against anyone engaging in public discourse that describes LGBTQ people in a positive, or even neutral, way — including in ads, books or online.
According to Human Rights Watch, whose Russian office was shut down in April, the law “perpetuates false and damaging messaging that tries to link LGBTQ people with pedophiles.”
By contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has opened the door to legalizing same-sex civil unions after the war highlighted a lack of rights and protections for gay soldiers and their partners.
The Washington Post spoke to members of Russia’s LGBTQ community to understand how the more draconian legislation has affected their lives.
Sergei Troshin, 40, an openly gay lawmaker in St. Petersburg
“I came out quite recently, this summer, but it gave me a certain level of internal freedom. I’ve been talking about LGBTQ issues even before coming out but now my work in this area is perceived in a more justified way, I guess. I’ve gotten many letters of support from people across the country which inspired me a great deal. That’s when I decided for myself that I would still stay in Russia, because I feel some sense of responsibility for these people. On the other hand, there is a level of anxiety because I’ve heard that certain homophobic people want to harm me in some way. But thankfully that has happened yet.
