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‘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”...

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.

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...

‘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.

Popular St. Petersburg Bookstore Fined $10K for ‘LGBT Propaganda’

Podpisniye Izdaniya was accused of violating Russia’s anti-LGBT laws for selling books by authors like Susan Sontag and Olivia Laing.

Russian Court Fines Apple for Violating 'LGBT Propaganda' Law

Russia in 2023 widened restrictions on the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relations" amid a broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.

Police Arrest Publishing House Staff Over Alleged LGBTQ+ Books

The head of distribution at Eksmo Publishing House was later released after being questioned by the police as part of an investigation.

Trans Woman Charged With Justifying Terrorism Launches Hunger Strike in Jail

Olga Sivushkova was arrested in January for allegedly sharing a link to an interview with a spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion, a Ukraine-based...

In First, Russia Identifies Member of Banned ‘International LGBT Movement’

The Justice Ministry identified journalist Vadim Vaganov as an “activist” from the non-existent “international LGBT movement.”

Russia Labels Elton John AIDS Foundation ‘Undesirable’ Organization

Authorities accused EJAF of “promoting non-traditional sexual relations... and gender reassignment” despite its stated goal of AIDS prevention and...

Transgender Russian Woman Dies at Dutch Asylum Shelter

Alisa Serova died after an alleged drug overdose, according to a Dutch organization that assists LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

Russia Issues First Prison Sentence for ‘LGBT Extremism’

Russia’s Supreme Court outlawed the so-called “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist” organization in November 2023.

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