[You may want to start with Part 1 ] Russia's legislature has pivoted toward repressing LGBTQ+ rights, in a departure from the path of expanding equality seen in most countries. The last few weeks have seen the first arrests under these laws, in particular the young woman jailed for 5 days under arrest for wearing rainbow earrings in public. And according to the folks at Aegis, a group of activists and health works who assembled to support LGBTQ people in what they're predicting is a difficult period, and likely to get worse.

Baseline: Russia Was Hostile to LGBTQ People Before this Renaissance of Repression

A pivotal law, commonly referred to as the “gay propaganda” law, was enacted in 2013, signed by Russian President Vladmir Putin months before the Sochi Olympics. This legislation prohibited the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships” among minors. It was criticized internationally for its vague wording and potential for abuse, serving as a tool for increasing stigma, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals.

As Human Rights Watch put it: “The well-founded fear of activists in Russia was that the law would not only restrict freedom of expression, but would send a message that the government condoned homophobia, leaving gay people vulnerable to violence and abuse.”

That law effectively banned public expressions of LGBTQ+ identities, including pride parades, and limited access to LGBTQ+ related information and support services.

10 Years Later, Gay Propaganda Law Inspires New Legislation to Up Ante

December 2022 – The Russian government expanded the 2013 “gay propaganda” law to ban any public expression of LGBTQ+ behavior or lifestyle, not just where youth were present.

Prohibits all forms of LGBTQ+ representation in public, online, in films, books, or advertising, with violators facing heavy fines. This broadened the scope of censorship and repression against the LGBTQ+ community, intensifying the crackdown on free speech and minority rights】.

July 2023, the Russian State Duma passed a bill that outlaws transgender healthcare, including gender-affirming surgeries and treatments, and prohibits the change of gender markers in official documents. This legislation also affects the family rights of transgender individuals by dissolving marriages if a partner undergoes gender transition and banning them from adopting or becoming foster parents. The bill was subsequently approved by Russia's upper house of parliament and was expected to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, representing a comprehensive assault on the rights and well-being of transgender individuals in Russia.

November 2023 – Supreme Court declares the “international LGBT movement” an “extremist organization.”

The Movement does not have registration and a unified structure on the territory of the Russian Federation; it consists of various unregistered organizations, including international non-governmental organizations, communities, groups…, as well as individual activists and participants who are not such, but carry out their activities in the interests of the Movement .”
— Excerpt from the Russian Supreme Court's decision to recognize
the International LGBT Movement as an extremist organization became known.

In sum, a severe tightening of restrictions on LGBTQ rights in Russia

LGBTQ+ rights activism criminalized: Up to 12 years in prison for participation or support for the movement.
Vague terms allow arbitrary prosecution: significantly escalating legal pressures on the LGBTQ+ community.
Big increase in censorship of LGBTQ+ content in media and literature.
All content with positive depictions of LGBTQ relationships banned. Films, books, and online content promoting or positively depicting LGBTQ+ relationships have been banned. The vague wording of the laws puts the publishing sector at risk, affecting cultural expression and access to information for the LGBTQ+ community.

Russia has moved from laws targeted at protecting young people from exposure to comprehensive legislation that aims to erase LGBTQ+ visibility and activism from public life. International rights organizations have condemned each stage, highlighting their discriminatory nature and the adverse effects on human rights and freedoms in Russia.

But wait there's more. Unsatisfied with just protecting young people, advocates have now construed a connection to the Ukraine invasion. In particular one powerful legislator with a history of homophobic panic and close ties to Putin warns warns, “The special military operation takes place not only on the battlefield but also in the minds and souls of people, LGBT today is an element of hybrid warfare.” More on Alexander Khinshtein and his strange direct involvement with the rainbow earring story last week in Russian media. in Part 3.