LGBTQ rights in Russia
Just over a year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed any LGBTQ+ activism in a ruling that designated “the international LGBT movement” as extremist. The move exposed anyone in the community or connected to it to criminal prosecution and prison, ushering in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. “I’m scared for the queer community in Russia that remains in the country. The Supreme Court ruling, which was handed down on November 30 but became public only in mid-January , indicates that many more convictions may follow. In late January, a court in Nizhny Novgorod sentenced a woman to five days detention for wearing rainbow-colored earrings after an individual accosted her and her friend in a cafe. ‘You’re a Second
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Russia face significant legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT people. [4][5] Although sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex is legal, [1] homosexuality is disapproved of by much of the population and pro-LGBTQ advocacy groups are deemed "extremist" and banned. It is illegal for individuals to. Their social media posts and videos drew thousands of followers, and they were greeted by them sometimes on the streets in Kazan, in Russia's Tatarstan region, where Gogishvili was a pharmacist and Xu, from China, studied international relations at a university. Then came the complaints about them to authorities. 
Russia's LGBTQ+ community is living in fear following new
“I’m in a relationship, but outside of our [social messenger] chats and our home we’re just friends,” one gay man said, describing how many queer people live in Russia. Unlike the Soviet Union and Iran, modern Russia is not so much trying to eradicate a group of people because of their sexual orientation as seeking to destroy a particular civil and cultural phenomenon. Many feared Russia would move to recriminalize homosexuality, but policymaking went in a different direction.
Russian LGBTQ+ activists describe a climate of fear amid new
Going forward, Russia’s anti-gay campaign is bound to evolve further—at the very minimum out of inertia. The regime will keep seeking to dismantle gay-friendly public spaces and censor LGBTQ+ content, but it is unlikely to send thousands to prison for gay sex. Petersburg told The Moscow Times. Under this sweeping designation, any public display of queerness — a rainbow badge, a photo with a same-sex partner, even a book — can be interpreted as extremist. In wartime, focus on ‘traditional values’ imperils Russia’s
This results in legal-sanctioned violations of the human rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, distancing Russia from its obligations as a signatory to the UDHR and the ICESCR. Additionally, these rulings legitimize discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, leading to the marginalization of a vulnerable community. By Niko Vorobyov. At this point, Mikhail said, he lived his life openly and had not experienced much overt hostility from the day-to-day public. 
How Far Will Russia’s Wartime Anti
Police officers detain a gay rights activist during a protest against anti-LGBTQ Russian laws outside the headquarters of the Sochi Olympics Organizing Committee, seen in Moscow on Sept. .
Russia
In the year since Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlawed any promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, activists say they are experiencing a climate of fear and intimidation in the country. LGBTQ+ rights. . 
Russia's New Queer Purge
Russian courts have issued the first known extremism convictions arising from the Supreme Court ruling designating the “international LGBT movement” as extremist. .