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Hello! I'm Maxim Polyakov, a correspondent for the online magazine “7x7”. On November 30, the Supreme Court of Russia declared the “International LGBT Movement” extremist. Russian lawyers are struggling to comprehend this verdict, considering that the movement in question does not exist. However, experts unanimously predict a new wave of repressions in Russia in the near future.

In this newsletter, I will delve into the discriminatory laws already adopted in Russia, the initial consequences of the Supreme Court's verdict, and the potential scenarios that may unfold in the future.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Historical background

After 1991, Russian society gradually distanced itself from homophobic rhetoric. In 1993, the country repealed the law criminalizing “muzhelozhestvo” (a male homosexual act), which had been in effect for 69 years. In the latter half of the 90s, television started to feature stories about same-sex couples, and pop stars began adopting queer personas in their performances and music videos. The most prominent example is the girl music duo t.A.T.u., whose members pretended to be a couple and kissed on stage to maintain this image. However, the situation took a turn for the worse in the mid-2000s. Here are the key events in this trajectory:

• In 2005, Russian LGBT activists announced their intention to organize the first gay pride in Moscow, scheduled for May 2006. This marked the onset of the first major anti-LGBT campaign in Russia. Shortly before the event, a series of pogroms occurred in Moscow, where Orthodox activists and skinheads disrupted parties in two gay clubs. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov declared a ban on gay pride events in the city during his tenure, stating that Moscow is not Europe. Despite this, LGBT activists attempted to proceed with the parade, only to be assaulted by skinheads and subsequently detained by the police.
• In 2006, the Ryazan Oblast adopted the first regional law prohibiting the so-called “propaganda of homosexuality among minors.” Over the following years, similar laws were enacted in the Arkhangelsk, Magadan, and Novosibirsk regions, as well as in Saint Petersburg.
• In 2013, this legislation became federal. The stigmatization of the LGBT community sharply increased, leading to a higher incidence of depression among its members. Additionally, homosexual individuals reported an elevated level of violence against them. However, only a few sought help from the police, as they often encountered mockery and further violence instead of assistance.
• In 2017, it became widely known that authorities and law enforcers in Chechnya were kidnapping, torturing, and killing homosexuals. Meanwhile, the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, not only denied the persecution but also the very existence of gay individuals in the region.
• In 2021, the state introduced a new strategy for national security, identifying views and ideas contrary to traditional values as a threat to state security. A few weeks later, dozens of LGBT activists and NGOs were labeled as “foreign agents.”
• In November 2022, nine months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the State Duma adopted amendments to the law against the “propaganda of homosexuality among minors.” The deputies removed the last two words, extending the law to apply to all Russians. LGBT literature began disappearing from bookshops, and films were subjected to censorship, with scenes featuring gays and lesbians being removed.
• In July 2023, lawmakers passed a legislation prohibiting the change of gender markers. Thus, for the past few months, nobody in Russia has been able to undergo a gender transition.

Two scenarios

Before composing this newsletter, I recalled a 2017 post from the renowned Russian human rights activist Pavel Chikov, where he foresaw changes in Russia over the coming years. His list of ten predictions included the ban on international media in Russia, the neutralization of political space, the deterioration of diplomatic relationships with European countries, Russia’s exit from the Council of Europe, and the adoption of new repressive laws. In February 2023, Chikov stated that nine out of ten of his predictions had come true.

Contemplating the fate of LGBT rights in Russia over the next five years, I envisioned two scenarios: one titled “everything is bad” and the other “everything is really bad.”

In the first scenario, Russian authorities would refrain from introducing new anti-LGBT laws but meticulously enforce existing ones. LGBT symbols would vanish from books, movies, and video clips. All LGBT-themed events would be prohibited, NGOs fined, and labeled as “foreign agents.” Essentially, this scenario mirrors the events of the past few years.

The second one suggests the enactment of a new law criminalizing “muzhelozhestvo.” People would face imprisonment for merely being in a same-sex relationship, with authorities portraying gay individuals as one of their archenemies.

Reflecting on his predictions, Pavel Chikov admitted he did not expect them to materialize so quickly. However, his insights led me to believe that the “everything is really bad” scenario awaits the Russian LGBT community.

Human rights activists now make grim jokes about Chechnya annexing Russia in terms of LGBT persecution and spreading its “practices” – kidnapping, torture, murder – across the entire country.

The initial consequences

Shortly after the Supreme Court's prohibition of the “International LGBT Movement,” it became evident how law enforcers in Russia would implement this decision. The first cases of repressions were not long in coming. Here is a recap of what happened within 5 days after the verdict:

• On the night of December 1-2, the police conducted raids in three gay clubs and one gay sauna in Moscow, citing drug tests as a formal pretext. All club visitors had their passport photos taken without their consent.
• The oldest gay club in Saint Petersburg, “Central Station,” closed its doors.
• The human rights organization DELO LGBT+ announced its self-dissolution, primarily in response to the Supreme Court's decision.
• TV channel AIVA TV was fined due to a music video by pop singer Sergei Lazarev. The video featured romantic couples, including same-sex ones, holding hands. The court record described it as “interacting hands caressing each other,” interpreted as “interaction of people broadcasting their homosexual preferences.” Sergei Lazarev deleted the video the next day.
• The dating app Pure removed the option for users in Russia to specify their sexual orientation.
• Human rights activists reported a significant increase in requests related to migration assistance from LGBTQ+ individuals in the days surrounding the Supreme Court's verdict. The LGBTQ+ community group “Vykhod” (“Coming Out”) received 1.5 times more requests than usual.

It appears that the only positive outcome of the Supreme Court's decision is the unprecedented unity among LGBT activists and their supporters in Russia. Over the past few days, they have created several chat rooms to exchange useful information and provide support. Recently, activists launched a new LGBT media outlet, and approximately twenty independent media channels changed their logos to rainbow colors.

Solidarity and support emerged as a response to the repressive measures.

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