Three individuals have been arrested and charged under the country’s severe new anti-LGBT laws, just over three decades after homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993. They could face ten years in prison for membership in a “extremist organization.”
The arrests are a clear indication of the complete reversal in Russia’s treatment of sexual minorities under Vladimir Putin’s leadership.
On March 21, the district court of Orenburg, which is situated in the southwestern region of Russia, issued an arrest warrant for Vyacheslav Khasanov, the proprietor of a cabaret. Pose, the nightclub, has maintained an informal posture against being classified as a homosexual establishment. It frequently hosted events that featured drag queen performers and go-go dancers, presenting itself as a “parody theatre bar” for entertainment.
The court stated in a press release announcing the arrest that Khasanov, as the proprietor of the club, organized participation in an extremist organization, “acting as the leader of an organized group of persons by prior conspiracy.” The actions at issue include the coordination of the operations of these establishments and the dissemination of photographs and videos that document performances that promote unconventional sexual relationships and preferences. Khasanov was apprehended at the airport while attempting to evade apprehension.
He was apprehended subsequent to the apprehension and detention of two of his employees. The art director of the club, Alexander Klimov, and the administrator, Diana Kamelyanova, were apprehended and sentenced to two months of pre-trial detention by the Orenburg court for “encouraging non-traditional sexual relations among the bar’s patrons.”
The aforementioned triumvirate are the initial casualties of the recently implemented stringent legal standard. The Russian Supreme Court found the “international LGBT movement” to be a “extremist organization” at the conclusion of November 2023. This decision effectively criminalized homosexuality, which had been decriminalized in 1993, for a period of thirty years.
However, the prohibition is no longer restricted to sexual activity, but rather to one’s very identity. If you openly identify as homosexual, you are at risk of prosecution and membership in an extremist organization.
The “homosexual propaganda statute” in Russia
This has been anticipated for an extended period of time. The “gay propaganda statute” was implemented in Russia in 2013. The legislation, which appeared to be designed to protect minors from content that promotes non-traditional sexual relationships, in actuality functioned as a comprehensive censorship prohibition, stifling any constructive or impartial discourse regarding homosexuality.
The legislation’s equivocal and imprecise language revealed inherent defects. Consequently, the authorities implemented the policy in a manner that was both arbitrary and selective. In one instance, individuals were penalized for being in possession of a banner that read, “Children have the right to know.” Occasionally, exceptional individuals are homosexual. Furthermore, homosexuals are capable of attaining glory. It is entirely natural and acceptable to identify as homosexual. Sharing LGBT-related information on social media or publishing photographs of same-sex couples kissing were also subject to legal repercussions, in addition to being considered LGBT propaganda.
In 2022, the legislation was expanded to incorporate a comprehensive prohibition of “gay propaganda,” transitioning from its initial objective of protecting minors. Subsequently, the discourse underwent a transformation; politicians began to refer to a “rainbow menace” or LGBTB activity as an aspect of a “hybrid war” that the West was conducting against Russia.
Homophobia is incensed.
The increase in prosecutions was exponentially facilitated by the legislation of 2022. Seven transgender Central Asian migrants were among the initial casualties of the recently modified “homosexual propaganda law.” In March 2023, the seven sex workers were fined and subsequently deported under the propaganda laws after they posted their profiles on a dating website.
Russia subsequently enacted legislation in July 2023 that prohibited the practice of “sex change” procedures, as well as the alteration of one’s gender identity on official documents and a variety of other measures that were widely criticized as transphobic.
At approximately the same time, six distinct online streaming platforms were penalized for broadcasting films that contained LGBTQ-related content. In reality, the LGBTQ community was not even mentioned in the majority of those films, which included Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Perfect Strangers, and Green Book. Nevertheless, specific sequences were determined to contain elements that could be interpreted as “homosexual propaganda.”
As anticipated, this precedent has resulted in a chilling effect and an increase in media self-censorship. A scene depicting one male kissing another on the cheek was blurred during the screening of Barbie in Russian cinemas last year.
A rainbow was removed from the music video of a K-pop band by another television channel, resulting in a grey color. Contemporary Russia may be symbolized by the gray rainbow, which appears to be a suitable choice.
The extent of governmental repression that the LGBTQ community in Russia experiences is emphasized by this persistent suppression. The environment was characterized by persecution and apprehension as a result of the arbitrary implementation of the “gay propaganda law.” The international LGBT movement was classified as extremist by the Supreme Court, which resulted in the reinstatement of homosexuality as a criminal offense.
What is feasible?
The draconian homophobic policies that have been implemented in Russia have effectively suppressed dissent and compelled a significant number of individuals to retreat, thereby perpetuating a cycle of apprehension and prejudice. Two tasks can be done today:.
One approach would be to provide assistance to LGBTQ organizations that are still in operation in the country. In order to continue providing legal counsel and assistance to individuals who are at risk of apprehension or prosecution, these organizations require resources. Financial resources may be necessary to provide assistance to LGBT or transgender individuals within the country who are in peril in the event of dire circumstances.
