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Chechen PACE Member Suspended After LGBTQ+ and ‘Honor Killing’ Comments

Ruslan Kutayev, a member of the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces at PACE, said he had never been contacted to help women and LGBTQ+...

Eksmo CEO Released From Police Custody After Questioning

Eksmo CEO Yevgeny Kapyev and his colleagues were detained last week after federal investigators earlier launched a probe into LGBTQ+ “propaganda” and...

Russian Court Outlaws Top LGBTQ+ Rights Group as 'Extremist'

The designation could mean anybody associated with the group risks years behind bars for supporting an extremist organization.

CEO of Russia’s Largest Book Publisher Detained in LGBTQ+ ‘Extremism’ Probe

Yevgeny Kapyev, head of the publishing giant Eksmo, was taken in by police following a search of the company’s Moscow office.

Samara Court Fines LGBTQ+ Activist $5.7K for ‘Extremism’

Maxim Olenichev, a lawyer for human rights group Perviy Otdel, said Irida was the “first extremism case against the leader of an LGBT initiative.” ...

‘Heated Rivalry’ Catches Fire in Russia Despite Kremlin’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Repressions

For many Russian viewers, the series provides a rare portrayal of queer lives and relationships at a time when LGBTQ+ visibility has largely vanished.

Moscow Court Charges Top Streaming Executives With LGBTQ+ ‘Propaganda’

Top managers at Kinopoisk, Wink, Ivi, Amediteka, 24TV, Digital Television and Beeline TV face administrative charges for promoting “non-traditional”...

Russia’s Leading Publisher Shutters Queer-Interest YA Imprint Months After ‘Extremism’ Arrests

Popcorn rose to prominence after the success of its queer-themed bestseller “Summer in a Pioneer Tie.”

These Women Fled Abuse in Russia's North Caucasus. Then They Were Found Dead.

The recent deaths of two women who fled abusive homes in Chechnya highlight the danger that victims still face outside Russia.

Moscow Court Finds Man Accused of Organizing LGBTQ+ Tours Guilty 1 Year After Suicide in Police Custody

State investigators had said that Andrei Kotov, who ran the Men Travel agency, died by suicide in late December 2024.

Russia Blocks World’s Largest Anime and Manga Database Over LGBTQ+ Content

Previously, a St. Petersburg court banned “Death Note,” “Tokyo Ghoul” and “Inuyashiki,” citing concerns that teens were re-enacting violent...

Sobchak Deletes Interview With Gay Singer After Roskomnadzor Flags ‘LGBT Propaganda’

The interview, which was released in early September, featured the openly gay Russian-born singer and blogger Sergei Grigoryev-Apollonov, known as Grey...

Moscow Court Jails Exiled Journalist, LGBTQ+ Activist Shainyan 5 Years in Absentia

Russian prosecutors accused Shainyan of “financing extremist activities” by donating around $25 to Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation in 2022...

'Between an Amusement Park and Something Horrible': Anna Narinskaya Brings LGBTQ+ Russians' Plight to Life

Narinskaya discusses the message behind the "Boxed" exhibition, what people in Europe and the West can take from it and her role in emigration.

St. Petersburg Court Drops ‘LGBT Propaganda’ Case Against Popular Bookstore

Podpisniye Izdaniya was accused of selling books that promote “non-traditional sexual relationships, gender reassignment or refusal to procreate.”

Crimean Woman Fined Over $1K for Posting Photos of Men in Wedding Dresses Online

The woman, who was found guilty of spreading “LGBT propaganda,” said the photos were meant to poke fun at gender norms in heterosexual relationships...

opinion Andrey Shashkov

How Far Will Russia’s Wartime Anti-LGBTQ+ Campaign Go?

Russia has passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and ramped up censorship. But criminal cases remain rare and indiscriminate persecution is unlikely.

‘You’re a Second-Class Citizen’: Arrests, Club Raids and Extremism Charges Define LGBTQ+ Life in Russia in 2025

Russia's queer community has been subjected to growing pressure, fear and repression, prompting many people to hide their sexuality altogether.

In Russia, Being Openly Gay Is 'Extremist.' But Some People Bend the Rules.

In a country where queerness has been legally equated to terrorism, the line between what is acceptable and what is not has blurred.

LGBTQ+ Resistance

Despite repressive laws and a wartime crackdown, LGBTQ+ activists continue operating and NGOs have found a way to keep functioning.

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