Russia - LGBTQI People
According to one survey, the percentage of homosexuals in the Russian population is at the level of 2-4.1% of the total number of people who took part in the survey (about 27K people). According to scientific data, the percentage of homosexuals is approximately 3-7% of the world population. However, in this context, it is precisely homosexuals that are taken into account, and bisexuals, most likely, are much more.
Azerbaijan took the last, 49th line in the ranking of countries suitable for the life of citizens of non-traditional sexual orientation. The study was prepared by the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association ILGA and published on 10 May 2016. At the same time, 48th and 47th places were taken by Russia and Armenia. According to ILGA-Europe spokesman Bjorn van Rosendaal, "the common thread that unites Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia is that these countries want to distance themselves from the West, and the fight against homosexuality is at the center of this movement."
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in the 1990s, but LGBT people have faced varying degrees of discrimination over the years. In Eastern Europe, especially in Russia, where, in accordance with the Orthodox tradition, action prevails over "internal motivation", what is considered important is not what a person feels, but what he does. That is why large sections of the population are reacting aggressively to the demonstrative, exhibitionistic, moralizing element in the LGBTQI rights movement.
Rights defenders say bias has been encouraged by a law targeting "gay propaganda," which President Vladimir Putin signed in 2013. Since then, LGBT-rights campaigners and hate-crime researchers have reported a notable uptick in violence and harassment against gays and lesbians, often from conservative activists or those espousing Orthodox Christian beliefs.
A homophobic campaign continued in state-controlled media in which officials, journalists, and others derided LGBTI persons as “perverts,” “sodomites,” and “abnormal,” and conflated homosexuality with pedophilia. Employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity was a problem, especially in the public sector and education. Employers fired LGBTI persons for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or public activism in support of LGBTI rights. Primary and secondary school teachers were often the targets of such pressure due to the law on “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation” targeted at minors.
Since 2012, the regional NGO ILGA-Europe has systematically analyzed countries’ laws, statutes, and administrative practices in order to develop an index that rates countries based on their levels of protection of the human rights of LGBTI people. Countries are scored and ranked based on their laws and policies in the areas of respect for freedoms of assembly, association and expression; asylum; anti-discrimination; family recognition; protection against hate speech and hate crime; and legal gender recognition. In 2013, the top three countries were the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Norway. The lowest ranked countries were Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. By 2020, Russia had moved up to fourth from the bottom, being displaced from the bottom three by Turkey.
The concept of criminalizing “homosexual propaganda to minors” was first applied in the Russian province of Ryazan in 2006. By July 2013, such national legislation was in place in Russia in addition to that already in place in nine oblasts and St. Petersburg. The federal law in Russia was changed to not use the term homosexual. Instead, it outlaws the “Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors”. Regional laws do specify homosexual.
The law criminalizes the distribution of “propaganda” of “nontraditional sexual relations” to minors and effectively limits the rights of free expression and assembly for citizens who wish to advocate publicly for LGBTI rights or express the opinion that homosexuality is normal. Examples of what the government considered LGBTI propaganda included materials that “directly or indirectly approve of persons who are in nontraditional sexual relationships”. The law does not prohibit discrimination against LGBTI persons in housing, employment, or access to government services, such as health care.
During the year 2020 there were reports state actors committed violence against LGBTI individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, particularly in Chechnya. According to the Russian LGBT Network, as of July more than 175 LGBTI persons had fled Chechnya since 2017, the majority of whom had also left the country.
There were reports that government agents attacked, harassed, and threatened LGBTI activists. For example, on 29 January 2020, media outlets reported that Rostov-on-Don-based LGBTI activist Anna Dvornichenko fled Russia for the Netherlands after local law enforcement authorities threatened to initiate criminal and administrative cases against her for “extremist” activities and distribution of LGBTI propaganda to minors. She told media that police refused to investigate several attacks against her in which unknown assailants attacked her with pepper spray and a smoke bomb. In addition, on 13 November 2020 in St. Petersburg, masked men shouted homophobic slogans as police and Rospotrebnadzor employees disrupted the opening night of Side By Side, Russia’s only annual LGBT film festival.
LGBTI persons were particular targets of societal violence, and police often failed to respond adequately to such incidents. For example, the Russian LGBT Network reported that a transgender man was attacked while he was leaving a supermarket in the Kursk region on April 28. The assailant grabbed the man by the neck, beat him, and threatened to kill him. After seeking medical attention, the man was diagnosed with a ruptured eardrum and a concussion. According to the network, the victim filed a report, but police did not investigate the incident and refused to open a criminal case.
There were reports that authorities failed to respond when credible threats of violence were made against LGBTI persons. For example, LGBTI and feminist activist Yuliya Tsvetkova reported she had received numerous death threats, including from an organization known as “Saw” that called for violence against the LGBTI community. Tsvetkova was under investigation for the distribution of pornography and LGBTI propaganda to minors and was under house arrest when she received numerous threats that included her address and other personal details. Tsvetkova also stated that her mother had received numerous threatening telephone calls related to her case. When Tsvetkova informed police, they dismissed the reported incidents and claimed it would be impossible to investigate them.
On 14 April 2020, the Russian LGBT Network released a report that showed 11.6 percent of LGBTI respondents in their survey had experienced physical violence, 4 percent had experienced sexual violence, and 56.2 percent had experienced psychological abuse during their lifetime. The report noted that LGBTI persons faced discrimination in their place of study or work, when receiving medical services, and when searching for housing. The report also noted that transgender persons were uniquely vulnerable to discrimination and violence. The Russian LGBT Network claimed that law enforcement authorities did not always protect the rights of LGBTI individuals and were sometimes the source of violence themselves. As a result LGBTI individuals had extremely low levels of trust in courts and police.
In one example of low levels of trust in authorities, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that in September St. Petersburg police arrested 53-year-old actor and theater producer Yuriy Yanovskiy for killing Jamshid Hatamjonov, a transgender sex worker from Uzbekistan who preferred to be called Tamara. Tamara was reported missing in January, and her dismembered body was found in July. The investigation was complicated because the victim’s acquaintances were not willing to testify due to fear authorities would identify and harass them for their sexual orientation and profession. Activists suspected that the victim did not seek any help from authorities for her client’s prior violent behaviors because she feared police.
There were reports police conducted involuntary physical exams of transgender or intersex persons. LGBTI NGO Coming Out reported that in March 2019, some police officers physically and sexually harassed a transgender woman in the process of medical transition. Police had detained her to investigate the death of her roommate. During interrogation at the police station, the victim reported that a police officer hit her approximately five times on the head, using both his open hand and his fist. The police officers also inquired repeatedly about her genitals, demanded that she display her chest, made rude comments about the shape and size of her genitals, took photographs of her, and shared the images on social media.
The Association of Russian Speaking Intersex reported that medical specialists often pressured intersex persons (or their parents if they were underage) into having so-called normalization surgery without providing accurate information about the procedure or what being intersex means.
The law prohibiting the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientations” restricted freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly for LGBTI persons and their supporters. LGBTI persons reported significant societal stigma and discrimination, which some attributed to official promotion of intolerance and homophobia. High levels of employment discrimination against LGBTI persons reportedly persisted. Activists asserted that the majority of LGBTI persons hid their sexual orientation or gender identity due to fear of losing their jobs or homes, as well as the risk of violence. LGBTI students also reported discrimination at schools and universities.
Medical practitioners reportedly continued to limit or deny LGBTI persons health services due to intolerance and prejudice. The Russian LGBT Network’s report indicated that, upon disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity, LGBTI individuals often encountered strong negative reactions and the presumption they were mentally ill.
During the year 2020 authorities invoked a 2013 law prohibiting the distribution of “propaganda on nontraditional sexual relations” to minors to punish the exercise of free speech by LGBTI persons and their supporters. For example, Russian media reported that on July 10, LGBTI artist and activist Yuliya Tsvetkova was fined by a local court in the Russian Far East for social media posts and drawings depicting same-sex couples with their children, rainbow-colored cats, and matryoshka dolls holding hands. Tsvetkova was also under investigation for spreading pornography among minors for her body-positive projects in 2019. On 22 September 2020, her case was returned to the Investigative Committee for Khabarovsk Kray for further investigation in what experts believe was an attempt to prolong the trial.
Credible nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and independent media outlets published reports indicating that from December 2018 to January 2019, local authorities in the Republic of Chechnya renewed a campaign of violence against individuals perceived to be members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community. According to the NGO Russian LGBT Network, local Chechen authorities illegally detained and tortured at least 40 individuals, including two who reportedly died in custody from torture. According to human rights organizations, as of September authorities failed to investigate the allegations or reports of extrajudicial killings and mass torture of LGBTI persons in Chechnya and continued to deny there were any LGBTI persons in Chechnya.
Russia's Interior Ministry launched its first investigation under new LGBT propaganda laws, the chairman of the State Duma Information Policy Committee announced on 10 January 2923. Alexander Khinshtein said case was opened against Moscow-based publisher Popcorn Books, which has been accused of illegally selling literature promoting non-traditional sexual relations. "This publishing house has played a leading role in promoting LGBT literature in Russia," wrote Khinshtein, who was one of the architects of the recently expanded legislation restricting LGBT propaganda in the country.
The law was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, and introduced hefty fines for those found guilty of promoting "non-traditional sexual relations," pedophilia and transgenderism among both minors and adults through books, cinema, the media, and websites. "After our laws banning LGBT propaganda came into force in December, Popcorn Books not only continued to sell such books, but defiantly began to decorate their covers with quotes from Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and prohibition of censorship," Khinshtein added.
One of the most controversial items released by Popcorn Books was a novel titled "Summer in a Pioneer Tie," which focuses on the homosexual relationship between a teenager and a summer camp counselor during the Soviet era. The book reportedly sold over 200,000 copies but was heavily criticized by many conservative public figures, who called for the sale and distribution of the novel to be banned.
In his Telegram post announcing the investigation, Khishtein added that he hopes the case will make it to court and that the publisher that decided to "throw the government an open challenge" gets what it deserves.
Russia - Transphobia
“Six or five genders were invented. Transformers, trance… I don’t even understand what it is.” LGBT aggressively impose their point of view on the "overwhelming majority". Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference in Osaka 29 June 2019 confused transgender people with transformers, answering a question about how Russia treats the LGBT community. A TASS correspondent asked Putin to comment on his interview with the Financial Times in the part where the president spoke about the obsolescence of the liberal idea, and about the normal attitude towards people with non-traditional sexual orientation. The journalist noted that Elton John had already paid attention to this statement of the president , who accused Putin of hypocrisy.
Putin noted that in his interview he focused on the fact that in some countries there is an “inflection” with the liberal idea, which is that it begins to “eat itself”, and those who promote these ideas live “in its own paradigm. “So you remembered Elton John. In fact, he is a brilliant musician, I respect him, in fact he visits us [in Russia], we all listen to him with pleasure. I think that he is mistaken: I didn’t distort anything here, we really have a very even attitude towards representatives of the LGBT community. Really. Calm, absolutely unbiased,” Putin assured.
At the same time, he stressed that in Russia there is a law banning the propaganda of homosexuality among minors, for which our country is being “spoofed”. “Look, let's let a man grow up, become an adult, and then decide who he is. Leave the kids alone!" Putin explained the need for the law. “Now there is nothing! So I also said in this interview - six or five genders were invented! Transformers, trance... I don't even understand what it is! Well, God bless everyone,” said the President of the Russian Federation.
At the same time, according to him, the main problem is that this part of society "aggressively imposes its point of view on the vast majority." “We need to be more loyal to each other, more open and transparent. Everyone must be respected, but one cannot impose one's point of view by force. And representatives of this so-called liberal idea have recently been imposing, so that in schools they dictate the need for a certain sexual education. And the parents don’t want to - they are almost put in jail, ”Putin explained.
Transphobia is a negative attitude towards transgender and transgender people. The adjective " transphobic " is used to describe the qualities and objects associated with transphobia . A person who exhibits transphobia is called the word " transphobe ". Transphobia can be expressed in the form of violence, discrimination, hatred, disgust, aggressive behavior towards people who do not correspond to existing gender expectations and norms in society. Transphobia includes institutional forms of discrimination, criminalization, pathologisation and stigmatization and manifests itself in a variety of ways, from physical violence, hate speech , insults and hostile media portrayals to forms of oppression and social exclusion.
Transphobia, like in many countries, exists in Russia and manifests in various ways. While some people in Russia are accepting and supportive of transgender rights, others hold prejudiced views or engage in discriminatory behavior. Russia does not have legislation in place to protect transgender individuals from discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, and healthcare. This absence of legal protections can contribute to an environment where transphobia and discrimination can persist.
Transgender individuals in Russia often face societal prejudice, stigma, and social exclusion. They may encounter difficulties in accessing healthcare, employment, and educational opportunities. Transphobic attitudes can also lead to harassment, violence, and hate crimes targeting transgender people.
Russia has a high level of transphobia, especially among the male population. There are frequent cases of psychological and physical violence, as well as discrimination against transgender people in the areas of education, labor and social services. Society often associates transgender people with lesbians and gays “who went further and decided to have surgery”, not understanding the fact that sexual orientation and gender identity are different things. And that a transgender person can have any sexual orientation, just like a cisgender person.
Russia has implemented laws and policies that have been criticized for their impact on the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, including transgender people. In 2013, the Russian government passed a law commonly referred to as the "gay propaganda law," which restricts the dissemination of information about non-traditional sexual relationships to minors. This law has been criticized for fostering an environment of discrimination and intolerance towards LGBTQ+ individuals, including transgender people.
In some regions of Russia, there are legislative acts prohibiting the promotion of transgender people. In general, various language was used in regional propaganda laws , and transgenderism was mentioned in the laws of St. Petersburg, Samara and Kostroma regions, and the Republic of Bashkortostan. After the adoption of the federal law on the prohibition of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors (which does not mention transgender people), the St. Petersburg law was repealed. In the Samara region, the law was partially repealed, and the ban on promoting transgender people remained in force.
To issues of gender identity, not sexual orientation, propaganda legislation was first applied in 2013 in St. Petersburg, when the district administration refused to allow activists of the LGBT organization Vykhod to approve a picket dedicated to the International Day of Remembrance for transgender people.
In Russia, the process for legal gender recognition can be complex and restrictive. Transgender individuals are required to undergo medical interventions, including sterilization, and obtain psychiatric diagnoses to legally change their gender. These requirements have been criticized by human rights organizations as violating individuals' right to self-determination and bodily autonomy.
On December 29, 2014, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted Decree No. 1604 "On the lists of medical contraindications, medical indications and medical restrictions on driving", which mentions transsexuality among the conditions that prevent obtaining a driver's license. This news was widely interpreted as a driving ban for transgender people, although, according to lawyers, the legislation essentially excludes such an interpretation. However, after the ruling was passed, transgender people began to face difficulties in obtaining medical documents for driving licenses. On April 2, 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that the authorities of the Russian Federation remove indications of transgender identities from the list of contraindications to driving.
In May 2015, a draft law was submitted to the State Duma to ban marriages for people who have "changed sex". As the authors of the bill pointed out, its goal is to prevent the use of the “sex change” procedure to circumvent the ban on homosexual marriages by creating situations where the legal and “actual” sex of a person does not match. The draft law was criticized by many lawyers, as well as by the legal department of the State Duma and the parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Experts point out that the bill violates the rights of all citizens - both transgender and cisgender - to privacy and medical confidentiality, and is also absurd and contrary to its own goals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly used attacks on transgender rights, as well as LGBTQ people in general, to claim that the West has lost its moral compass and to further justify its aggression against Western-backed Ukraine. Russia adopted its first legislation restricting LGBTQ rights in 2013, emphasizing its hostility to the depiction of "nontraditional sexual relations" to minors. Similar laws have also been passed in EU member Hungary, as well as numerous US states.
Russia continued its lurch to the right on 14 June 2023 as the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, voted to ban legal and medical gender reassignment. Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin cited US statistics as an argument to proceed quickly and “ban all this fornication.” Amendments to two laws were endorsed by over 400 of the 450 deputies in the first reading, and are now headed to the regions and government ministries for consultation. Volodin told reporters he hopes to have the final version adopted before the end of the current legislative session, in the spring of 2024.
The country has been hostile to the LGBTQ community for years, but the invasion of Ukraine has seen the Kremlin take an increasingly hard line against everything that does not comply with its definition of "family values." Rhetoric coming from Russian lawmakers framed the crackdown as an existential fight against the influence of Western liberal values.
The bill to ban gender reassignment operations was submitted to the chamber by deputies from all five Duma factions, headed by speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. The worst part is the abuse of children,” Volodin told the lawmakers. “In the US, where these new pseudo-values are promoted, the proportion of transgender people among teenagers is already three times higher than among adults. This is the result of propaganda. The number of children receiving hormone therapy has more than doubled in five years. Pumping up children with hormones begins at the age of eight. In just five years, between 2017 and 2021, more than 2,000 gender reassignment surgeries were performed on children aged 13 to 17.”
He urged The Ministry of Health not to invent amendments based on concerns for the well-being of people. The correct way to take care of people is to “ban this fornication,” Volodin argued. The ministry responded to the proposal with a “very emotional” letter, Deputy Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy told the chamber. He paraphrased the ministry’s argument as saying that the bill would cause “ethical, medical and social problems” to individuals whose documentation will no longer “match the reality that has developed in their heads,” and who may commit suicide as a result.
The provisions of the draft allow medical intervention for the treatment of congenital anomalies of sex formation in children, but only "by decision of the medical commission of the federal state health institution." The list of such institutions and the procedure for making decisions will be approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The proposed bill would prohibit "medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person" and "the state registration of a change of gender without an operation." This includes "the formation of a person's primary and (or) secondary sexual characteristics." But surgeries that are "aimed at treating congenital anomalies in children" would remain legal.
In addition, the bill introduces a ban on registry offices to make corrections or changes to documents based on sex change certificates issued by medical organizations. Today, the norms of the law allow the registry office to draw up conclusions on amendments to the documents of a citizen who has submitted a medical certificate of gender reassignment. The bill proposes to recognize this norm as invalid.
"I really want the guys who are now defending the honor of Russia at the cost of their lives to return home and see that the country has changed," the head of the ruling United Russia party, Pyotr Tolstoy, said. "That we are all fighting for a new sovereign Russia, as a united front free from Western influence."
https://www.colta.ru/articles/raznoglasiya/12008-rossiyskaya-gomofobiya-istoriya-proizvodstva">Russian homophobia: production history Ira Roldugina
Russia LGBTQ - Homophobia
Homophobia in Russia is a complex and controversial issue. Over the years, Russia has received international attention and criticism for its laws and attitudes towards homosexuality. It's important to note that public opinion on homosexuality in Russia varies, and not all Russians hold homophobic views. However, there are significant segments of society, including the government, that promote and enforce homophobic policies and attitudes.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which has a strong influence on society and politics, has also been known to espouse homophobic views. The Russian Orthodox Church, one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world, traditionally holds conservative views on issues related to sexuality, including homosexuality. The Russian Orthodox Church views homosexual behavior as sinful based on its interpretation of biblical texts. It has openly opposed societal acceptance of homosexuality and has been a vocal supporter of the Russian government's legislation against "gay propaganda."
The church has played a role in shaping public opinion and supporting legislation that restricts LGBTQ+ rights. It promotes the notion that homosexuality is a sin and goes against traditional family values. There are also individuals and organizations in Russia working to challenge homophobia and promote LGBTQ+ rights. LGBTQ+ activists, human rights organizations, and allies continue to advocate for equality and work towards changing public opinion and policy in Russia.
Russia is known for its tough stance against LGBT rights. This is largely a result of both political legislation and societal norms. One of the most notable developments regarding homophobia in Russia is the passage of the "gay propaganda" law in 2013. This law, officially titled the "Law for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values," prohibits the promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors. It effectively restricts LGBTQ+ advocacy and expression, including public demonstrations, media representation, and educational materials related to LGBTQ+ issues.
The law has been widely criticized both domestically and internationally for its infringement on freedom of expression and for fostering an environment of discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. Human rights organizations and activists argue that the law contributes to the stigmatization, marginalization, and harassment of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.
In addition to the legal aspects, there have been numerous reports of violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia. Hate crimes, including physical attacks and killings, have been documented, often with little or no consequences for the perpetrators. LGBTQ+ individuals may face harassment, social ostracism, and even difficulties in accessing healthcare and employment.
Under Russia's new law on "LGBTQ propaganda," in effect since 05 December 2022, the distribution of any content considered to be an attempt to promote same-sex relationships and homosexuality can be punished. The legislation, which effectively outlaws any public expression of LGBTQ behavior or lifestyle in Russia, resulted in a steady stream of book and film bans across the country.
Any person who says something positive about love between two men may be forced to dig deep into their wallets and pay a fine. Anybody who publicly supports a friend who is considering changing gender, especially on social media, is committing an offense. And anybody who praises a film in which two women kiss could end up in court. These examples, and many others, are now forbidden in Russia and can be punished with a fine of up to 5 million Russian rubles (around €65,000, $70,700).
This law is supposed to punish what has been called the promotion of "nontraditional sexual relations." It prohibits dissemination in any medium, including advertisements, books, films and media. By "nontraditional," the Russian authorities mean any sort of sexual activity between two men, or two women.
Communications and media regulator Roskomnadzor has been developing definitions of what this sort of propaganda might be. Any products that contain matter that meets these definitions will be added to a special register and made inaccessible to the general public. Anybody who distributes the products can be prosecuted.
Russia LGBTQ History
Ira Roldugina noted that "in Russia until the beginning of the 18th century there was no secular law against sodomy at all, not to mention the fact that later cases of such lethal persecution in Russian criminal practice were not uncommon. unknown. In Orthodox church practice, "sodomy" was not a key or even a first-line problem for spiritual authorities....
"The first fears experienced by Russian experts (and therefore the public) when faced with partly self-formulated homosexual identity in the second half of the 19th century were associated with a widespread and influential concept of degeneration. Homosexuality was perceived as a product of the disease (it was not the only, but at first the most popular approach to the phenomenon), the result of the moral and physical disintegration of society. ...
Russian laws against homosexuality have a long history. Orthodox clerics condemned sex between men and youths. They also condemned men who shaved, used make-up, or wore gaudy clothing as devotees of the "sodomitical sin." It was only with Peter the Great in the late 17th and early 18th centuries that Russia's first secular law against sex between men was adopted, in his Military Code of 1716. Relations between men in the army and navy were punished by flogging, and male rape, by penal servitude in the galleys.
But Nick Mayhew noted, "the concept of "sodomy" was ambiguous until the end of the 19th century, and that during the 18th and 19th centuries the attitude towards it in Russia was less strict than in northern Europe." The authorities in tsarist Russia avoided enforcing the law against upper-class homosexuals. There was no major homosexual scandal in pre-1917 Russia to match those of Britain's Oscar Wilde, Austria-Hungary's Colonel Alfred Redl, or the German Prince Eulenberg. Powerful supporters of the Romanov dynasty, and members of the tsar's family, were flagrantly gay, and received patronage and immunity from the throne.
In his later years, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky was open about his homosexuality. Researchers rule out that the composer was persecuted due to his sexual preferences as the upper echelons of Russian society were quite tolerant of homosexuals. "Nowadays, when I read and hear that Tchaikovsky's homosexuality was a fiction invented by unpatriotic researchers, I can only laugh," said Polida Veydman, director of the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin, outside of Moscow. "Denying his homosexuality is absurd." Even President Vladimir Putin commented on the issue in a television interview in September 2013: "People say Tchaikovsky was a homosexual. But we don't love him because of that." Then a press campaign was kicked off to protect the composer's reputation. Worried mothers asked at the ticket office if Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" was suitable for children. State funding of a film about Tchaikovsky was also withdrawn, even though Russian theater director and gay community cult figure Kirill Serebrennikov repeatedly argued that his movie about the composer would not be "told from the perspective of the bed."
"The Bolshevik Revolution, with its boldly emancipatory rhetoric in the field of sexuality, had a huge impact on Russian homosexuals, especially those who did not belong to the cultural and political elite of the czarist era. The abolition of the criminal article by the Bolsheviks for "sodomy" was not an accident, the criminal article was absent in the first two Soviet Criminal Codes, but was a meaningful part of the abolitionist sexual policy aimed at undermining gender. In part, the authorities were interested in this for practical reasons - the Soviet woman needed to be "included" in the new Soviet order both in practice and ideologically, and to do this as quickly as possible."
In communist times, homosexuality would be called a "vestige of capitalism". In the Soviet Union, this issue became a dividing line between Stalinists and National Bolsheviks on the one hand and reformers and revolutionaries on the other. In 1922, same-sex relations in the USSR were officially decriminalized, but already in the early 1930s, under Stalin, criminal responsibility for "sodomy" was reintroduced.
Ira Roldugina stated "The turning point occurred in the early 1930s and was part of the right-wing Stalinist turn, when the criminal article for “sodomy” was successively recriminalized, abortion was banned, and the divorce procedure was complicated. The forcibly introduced “tradition”, to which the defenders of the law “on propaganda of homosexuality” appeal, comes from there.... At the same time, the practice of blackmailing convicted male homosexuals and involving them in informing work took shape."
In September 1933, deputy chief of the secret police Genrikh Yagoda proposed to Stalin that a law against "pederasty" was needed urgently. Police raids had been conducted on circles of "pederasts" in Moscow and Leningrad. They were supposed to be guilty of spying; they had also "politically demoralized various social layers of young men, including young workers, and even attempted to penetrate the army and navy." Stalin forwarded Yagoda's letter to Lazar Kaganovich, noting "these scoundrels must receive exemplary punishment" and directing that a law against "pederasty" be adopted. The new law was adopted for all the Soviet republics in March 1934.
After the fall of communist regimes, attitudes toward homosexuals became one of the first fault lines between East and West. Nationalist politicians, usually opposing the "tolerance" of the inhabitants of their countries "the arrogance" and "missionary attitudes" of the West, began to instill an aggressive intolerance towards lesbians and gays. To strengthen the authority of a weak, unstable state, it is necessary to draw a parallel between the state and the family and talk about them in the same context.
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