A Russian court banned the ‘international LGBT movement’ — problem is, it doesn’t exist
There are only two clues as to Alex’s sexuality. One is on his wrist: a rainbow watch strap he’s worn since 2021. The other is his phone case, which also has the pride flag on it. They’re rarely visible. It’s just too risky.
“I don’t know what will happen next. What if someone sees my phone case?”
Alex — not his real name — keeps his mobile in his pocket, and his arms and hands are often covered, particularly in the depths of Russia’s freezing winter.
“It might be a small thing, but such small things are the reasons why people are being intimidated. So even a rainbow, for example, could be a problem,” he says.
This existence, plagued by fear and uncertainty, is the reality for queer people living in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, where, from today, the “international LGBT movement” has been designated an extremist organisation.
The country’s Supreme Court made the ruling late last year. While vague, people are under no illusions the judgment will further impinge on freedoms that have been steadily eroded over decades.
Indeed, a fresh crackdown has already begun. Police raided gay venues in Moscow at the time the court announced its decision. Authorities claimed it was part of a drug operation. Witnesses said some patrons had their documents photographed.
The ruling has forced Alex, who lives in a regional area, further into the closet. His relatives agree with the changes. While even people with unconditional support networks living in progressive democracies may find coming out terrifying, for Alex, the stakes are even higher. The 20-something-year-old knows discussing his sexuality with his family — even his mother — would be “a disaster”.
“My grandmother noticed the watch. She pointed to the strap and asked about its colour, and I stumbled a bit, explaining it was just a gift, just a strap, nothing special,” he says. “People react strangely to such things, even if it’s just a rainbow print on a shirt or pants.”
Alex says he’s not experienced public discrimination, because his sexuality is a secret. But he knows he’s part of a bigger picture. Russia’s presidential elections are due to be held in March, and while they are considered a foregone conclusion, bashing the LGBT community will play well for Putin.
The nonpartisan, US-based Pew Research Centre has tracked public attitudes towards homosexuality in dozens of countries over the past two decades. While its data points to a global trend of growing license, that’s not the case in Russia, where the number of adults who agreed homosexuality should be accepted by society fell from 22 per cent in 2002 to 14 per cent in 2019.
The question had much more support elsewhere. In Australia, for instance, 81 per cent of respondents in 2019 said they thought homosexuality should be accepted, while several countries all saw double-digit increases in approval between 2013 and 2019.
Sergei Troshin, a municipal deputy in St Petersburg who is openly gay, says the anti-LGBT laws are designed to distract voters from unpopular issues.
“I associate the Supreme Court’s decision with the election campaign,” he says. “Such homophobic and transphobic laws are adopted to reinforce support from that segment of society on which the current state power depends.”
In Russia’s power vertical, Putin has ultimate control, including over the judiciary and most of the media. His rule as either prime minister or president has gone on since 1999, and is about to be extended. Allegations of electoral fraud have accompanied previous victories for Putin and his United Russia party, and his most ardent critics will be barred from running. But while most Russians still back the long-time leader, crediting him with restoring national pride and defying America and its allies, the Kremlin’s stalling war in Ukraine and associated forced military mobilisations can be divisive issues.
The “special military operation” (as its referred to officially in Russia), is about to enter a third year. The government says it has no plans to force more civilians to join the war effort, but at the same time, Putin has moved to increase the maximum number of army personnel allowed by law to 2.2 million, and the list of illnesses that can exclude conscripts from service has been reduced. Last month, 20 civilians were killed and more than 100 were injured by Ukrainian air strikes in the border city of Belgorod. It was the deadliest attack on Russia since the war began.
Alex also believes the new suite of LGBT repressions are linked to the elections.
“The war has been going on for almost two years without any success,” he says. “Well, they have captured some territories, but they have a number of defeats and they have retreated. So they are having a failure at the front. The anti-LGBT laws is a distraction before the elections.”
‘Coming out could be extremism’
The Russian government has remained silent about the raids, but witnesses described chaotic scenes in the venues police targeted. A reveller told CNN officers had ordered about 300 people at one party to strip to their underwear while their IDs were photographed. Meanwhile, a LGBT nightclub in St Petersburg in December announced its lease had not been renewed due to the court ruling.
Mr Troshin says the fuzzy wording of the judgment — the court banned the “international LGBT movement”, but there aren’t any organisations actually called that — is adding to anxieties.
“It seems to me, now any person whom the state considers an LGBT activist can be recognised as a member of that non-existent organisation with all the consequences. This is such absolute legal arbitrariness, because since they have banned something that does not exist. These are very serious, discriminatory, repressive decisions.”
It’s not just authorities taking aim at the queer community. Late last month, gay journalist Pavel Lobkov said he was beaten up at a park in an affluent suburb in central Moscow. In a post on Facebook, the former TV presenter suggested the attack was homophobic.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is the latest measure designed to make life difficult for queer people in Russia. But it’s not the first. An existing law which outlawed the circulation of LGBT “propaganda” to children was in 2022 broadened to include any promotion of same-sex relationships. Earlier in 2023, Russian lawmakers passed a bill banning gender reassignment surgery and changing gender markers on official documents.
Anna-Maria Tesfaye left Russia for London in 2019. They describe themself as privileged, with a good job in Moscow and some family money behind them. But as a queer person with Ethiopian heritage, they had always been othered, and life was becoming more difficult. They say the new laws are “heart-breaking”.
“Now you cannot come out. Literally coming out could be extremism. This is crazy. So if you come out to someone who is not in the mood and they want to report you, I don’t know what will happen,” they said. “All the gay propaganda cases were administrative but now they’re going to be criminal.”
They say the situation for LGBT people in Russia was dire well before the court’s ruling was announced last year. During a 2021 trip to Moscow they attempted to hold their wife’s hand in public.
“She was like, Are you crazy? Everyone is already looking at us because we’re black. And now you want to attract even more attention. And I forgot because I lived in London.”
Mr Troshin says there has been an LGBT “evacuation” from Russia as freedoms are removed.
“I don’t feel safe, I think about leaving sometimes. But at this stage, I don’t want to leave,” he says. “I’ve made a decision for myself that I need to minimise the risks. For example, remove from my social networks something which can be deemed extremist and be cautious when speaking about this topic. Or not to speak at all.”
While there’s limited data available on the idea of a mass LGBT exodus from Russia, there is anecdotal evidence.
Anna-Maria co-founded a charity with their wife helping queer and diverse people affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They say they’ve been flooded with inquiries for help.
“I’ve always been a warrior, but sometimes even I ask myself if I made the right decision,” Anna-Maria says. “I can’t find a job. I probably will have to apply for asylum. My wife is autistic. She wouldn’t be able to survive in the asylum system. I have some queer friends who are still in Russia because they have family there that they have to support. They’re stuck, and they’re going to have to go underground.”
Two years ago, Alex got a passport, which is something some Russians consider unusual. A 2022 survey by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center said 29 per cent of adults had a foreign passport, but in regional areas — like where Alex lives — that number is just 12 per cent. In contrast, it’s estimated about 60 per cent of all Australians have one.
“When the mobilisation started, an acquaintance of mine from Moscow flew to Spain, sought refugee status, and stayed there. Some managed to go to America, while others moved to Germany. But I remained here. Leaving isn’t an option for me. It’s hard to do it on your own,” Alex says. “I’ve never been abroad. The passport is unused. I don’t have a partner and I think I’m probably not mentally ready to move alone and on my own.”
Mr Troshin worries that even those with a low profile could be targeted under the new laws. He plans to cleanse his social media feeds of any previous posts that could be deemed supportive of the LGBT community. But he remains optimistic about the future.
“Over time, these homophobic and transphobic laws, including the Supreme Court’s decisions, will likely be overturned. It’s part of a global trend, showcasing the progression toward reduced homophobia worldwide and human rights,” he says.
“Even in Cuba, where strong homophobia existed, same-sex marriage was legalised last year. I believe that eventually, everything will improve in Russia in this aspect. However, this transformation will take time.”
It’s a world Alex dreams of. But for now, he is stuck in his “average town”, staying silent about his sexuality and covering his wrist watch.
“My grandmother and uncle watch TV all the time and they are very pro-Putin. You cannot even say a word against him,” Alex says. “Over the past two years, I’ve tried to tell them so much information. Nothing works. They didn’t listen. It’s in vain. Until the picture on the TV changes — and it will take years — absolutely nothing will change.”
SOURCE: ABCNEWS