LGBT rights in Russia

LGBT rights in The Russian Federation Russia

Russia
Same-sex sexual activity legal? Decriminalised in 1917; Re-criminalised in 1933; Legal since 1993[1]
Age of consent stands at 16 since 2003
Gender identity/expression Legal gender change since 1997[note 1]
Military service Non-official policy "Don't ask, don't tell" since 2003[2][3]
Discrimination protections None
Family rights
Recognition of
relationships		 No recognition of same-sex relationships
Restrictions:
 Article 12 of Family Code de facto states that marriage is a union of a man and a woman
Adoption No legal restrictions to adopt by a single person[note 2]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons in Russia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT persons. Although same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private was decriminalized in 1993,[1] same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples and there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination regarding sexual orientation. Transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender following sex reassignment surgery, however, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination regarding gender identity or expression and recent laws could discriminate against transgender residents. Homosexuality has been declassified as a mental illness since 1999 and although gays and lesbians are allowed to serve “openly” in the military, there is an unofficial “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Russia has been viewed as being socially conservative regarding homosexuality, with recent polls indicating that a majority of Russians are against the acceptance of homosexuality and have shown support for laws discriminating against homosexuals. Britain’s Channel 4 aired Hunted, a documentary describing the lives of LGBT residents under the propaganda law and the legitimization of vigilante groups hunting and abusing homosexuals—primarily gay men—in “a wave of terror”.[4] Since the law’s enactment, a number of Russian LGBT people seeking asylum in the United States has increased fourfold.[5] However, despite receiving international criticism due to the recent increasing number of social discrimination, crimes, and violence against homosexuals, larger cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg have been said to have a thriving LGBT community. However, there has been a historic resistance to gay pride parades by local governments; despite being fined by the European Court of Human Rights in 2010 for interpreting it as discrimination, the city of Moscow denied 100 individual requests for permission to hold Moscow Pride through 2112, citing a risk of violence against participants.

In the 21st century, Russia began to receive worldwide attention for their legal treatment of LGBT citizens, which has been referred to as one of the worst human rights violations in the post-Soviet era. Since 2006, numerous regions in Russia have enacted varying laws restricting the distribution of materials promoting LGBT relationships to minors; in June 2013, a federal law criminalizing the distribution of LGBT "propaganda" among minors was enacted as an amendment to an existing child protection law.[6] The law has resulted in the numerous arrests of Russian LGBT citizens publicly opposing the law and there has reportedly been a surge of homophobic propaganda, violence, and even hate crimes, many of whom use the law as justification. It has received international criticism from human rights observers, LGBT activists, and media outlets and has been viewed as de facto means of criminalizing LGBT culture.[7] Russian historian and human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva has called it “a step toward the Middle Ages.”[7]

History

Current situation

Homophobia in Russia: Public opinion in Russia tends to be among the most hostile toward homosexuality in the world—outside predominantly Muslim countries and some parts of Africa and Asia—and the level of intolerance has been rising.[9] A 2013 survey found that 74% of Russians said homosexuality should not be accepted by society (up from 60% in 2002), compared to 16% who said that homosexuality should be accepted by society.[10] In a 2007 survey, 68% of Russians said homosexuality is always wrong (54%) or almost always wrong (14%).[11] In a 2005 poll, 44% of Russians were in favor of making homosexual acts between consenting adults a criminal act;[12] at the same time, 43% of Russians supported a legal ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[12] In 2013, 16% of Russians surveyed said that gay people should be isolated from society, 22% said they should be forced to undergo treatment, and 5% said homosexuals should be "liquidated".[13] In Russian psychiatry, Soviet mentality about homosexuality has endured into the present day.[14] For instance, in spite of the removal of homosexuality from the nomenclature of mental disorders, 62.5% of 450 surveyed psychiatrists in the Rostov Region view it as an illness, and up to three quarters view it as immoral behavior.[14] The psychiatrists sustain the objections to pride parades and the use of veiled schemes to lay off openly lesbian and gay persons from schools, child care centers, and other public institutions.[14] A Russian motorcycle club called the Night Wolves, which is closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin and which suggests "Death to faggots" as an alternate name for itself,[15] organized a large Anti-Maidan rally in February 2015 at which a popular slogan was "We don't need Western ideology and gay parades!"[16]

Same-sex marriage: Neither same-sex marriages nor civil unions of same-sex couples are allowed in Russia. In July 2013, Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, of which approximately 80% of Russians are members, said that the idea of same-sex marriage was "a very dangerous sign of the Apocalypse".[17] At a 2011 press conference, the head of the Moscow Registry Office, Irina Muravyova, declared: "Attempts by same-sex couples to marry both in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia are doomed to fail. We live in a civil society, we are guided by the federal law, [and] by the Constitution that clearly says: marriage in Russia is between a man and a woman. Such a marriage [same-sex] cannot be contracted in Russia."[18] The vast majority of the Russian public are also against same-sex marriage.[12][19]

Military service: According to reporting in Pravda.ru, in the past some young Russians would claim they were gay as a pretense to be avoid military service duty.[20] The Major-General of the Medical Service attempted to change that in 2003 when he announced that under a new statute, homosexuality would not be a justification for exclusion from military service: "The issue of a person's homosexuality is not medical. There is no such diagnosis as homosexuality in medicine. There is no such illness in the classification of [the] World Health Organization. The new statute about military and medical expertise follows international law practice. Therefore the reasons for evaluating the ability to serve for homosexuals are the same: physical and psychic health".[20] However, he added that people of non-standard sexual orientation should not reveal their sexual orientation while serving in the army because "other soldiers are not going to like that, they can be beaten".[20] President Vladimir Putin said in a U.S. television interview in 2010 that openly gay men were not excluded from military service in Russia.[21] In 2013, it was reported that the Defense Ministry had issued a guideline on assessment of new recruits' mental health that recommends recruits be asked about their sexual history and be examined for certain types of tattoos, especially genital or buttocks tattoos, that would allegedly indicate a homosexual orientation.[21][22]

Visibility of LGBT organizations & services: There is a visible LGBT community network, mostly in major cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg, including nightclubs and political organizations.

Gay pride events: There have been notable objections to the organization of gay pride parades in several Russian cities, most prominently Moscow, where authorities have never approved a request to hold a gay pride rally.[23] Former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov supported the city's refusal to authorize the first two editions of Nikolay Alexeyev's Moscow Pride events, calling them as "satanic". The events still went on as planned, in defiance of their lack of authorization.[24][25] In 2010, Russia was fined by the European Court of Human Rights, ruling that, as alleged by Alexeyev, Russian cities were discriminating against gays by refusing to authorize pride parades.. Although authorities had claimed allowing pride events to be held would pose a risk of violence, the Court ruled that their decisions "effectively approved of and supported groups who had called for [their] disruption."[26] In August 2012, contravening the previous ruling, the Moscow City Court upheld a ruling blocking requests by the organizers of Moscow Pride for authorization to hold the parade yearly through 2112, citing the possibility of public disorder and a lack of support for such events by residents of Moscow.[27][28][29][30]

Public opinion

Support for same-sex marriage (2013 poll)[31]

  Against (85%)
  For (5%)
  Other (10%)

Russia is socially conservative on LGBT rights, with 2013 polls indicating a large majority of Russians oppose legal recognition of same-sex marriage and support laws discriminating against LGBT people.[32][33][34]

Employment discrimination

Anton Krasovsky, a television news anchor at government-run KontrTV, was immediately fired[35] from his job in January 2013 when he announced during a live broadcast that he is gay and disgusted by the national anti-gay "propaganda" legislation that had been proposed although had not yet passed.[17][36]

In September 2013, a Khabarovsk teacher and gay rights activist, Alexandr Yermoshkin, was fired from his two jobs as school teacher and university researcher.[37] A week earlier, he had been attacked by members of a local neo-nazi group "Shtolz Khabarovsk".[38] A homophobic activist group called "Movement against the propaganda of sexual perversions" had campaigned for his dismissal.[39]

Viewpoints of political parties

The federal law banning of LGBT propaganda was passed unanimously by the Russian Duma; as the bill amended an existing child protection law, it is difficult to know whether or not all of the MPs, and their respective political parties, supported every aspect of the bill or not. A few political parties without members in the Duma, have expressed some, limited support for LGBT rights.

Yabloko is a member of the Liberal International, and has organized public demonstrations against intolerance under the banner of building a "Russia without pogroms." ["Russian liberals march for tolerance in St. Petersburg" LI News, 7 November 2013]

The Libertarian Party of Russia, formed in 2007, has objected to the government ban on "gay propaganda" as a violation of people's right to freedom of speech. [Libertarian Party of Russia. Press Release. 23 April 2012].

Hate crimes

Unlike in many western nations, LGBT persons in Russia do not enjoy increased and specific legal protections over other citizens. Violent criminal acts carried out against these persons are prosecuted as criminal offenses under Russian law, but the fact that these crimes are motivated by the sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim is not considered an aggravating factor when the court determines the sentence. Among the more vicious crimes that would qualify as hate crimes outside of Russia and are reported in the press would include the following;

Transgender issues

In Tsarist Russia, young women would sometimes pose as men or act like tomboys. This was often tolerated among the educated middle classes, with the assumption that such behavior was asexual and would stop when the girl married.[47] However, cross-dressing was widely seen as immoral behavior, punishable by the Church and later the government.[47]

In Soviet Russia, gender confirmation surgeries were first tried during the 1920s but became prohibited until the 1960s. Later they were performed by Prof. Irina Golubeva, an endocrinologist, authorized by psychiatrist Prof. Aron Belkin, who was the strongest Soviet advocate for transgender people until his death in 2003.[47]

On 29 December 2014, Russia passed a road safety law, allowing the government to deny driver's licenses to those suffering from various physical, mental, and "sexual" disorders as defined by the World Health Organization, which listed transgenderism, fetishism, exhibitionism, and voyeurism as examples of sexual disorders. Russian and foreign critics perceived the law as a ban on transgendered drivers: Yelena Masyuk questioned the relevance of a person's sexual tendencies or identity in regards to their ability to drive.[48][49] On 14 January 2015, Russia's Health Ministry clarified the law, stating that it would only deny licenses to those with disorders that would impair their ability to drive safely, and explicitly stated that one's sexual orientation would not be considered a factor under the law. The World Health Organization also stated that it planned to review its list of "sexual disorders" to account for modern developments.[50]

Propaganda bans

Federal laws passed on 29 June 2013 ban the distribution of "propaganda" promoting "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors.[51] Critics contend the law makes illegal holding any sort of public demonstration in favour of gay rights, speak in defence of LGBT rights, and distribute material related to LGBT culture, or to state that same-sex relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships.[52][53][54][55] Additionally the laws have received international condemnation from human rights campaigners, and media outlets that even displays of LGBT symbols, such as the rainbow flag, have resulted in arrests, and incited homophobic violence, like is documented in the Channel 4 documentary Hunted which followed anti-gay groups as they lured young gay men into traps where they were humiliated, with the footage later posted online.[6]

Regional laws

Ten Russian regions passed laws banning the distribution of "propaganda" relating to homosexuality, and/or other LGBT relationships to minors.
  Ban on the promotion of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism.
  Ban on the promotion of homosexuality and bisexuality.
  Ban on the promotion of homosexuality.

Between 2006 and 2013, ten regions enacted a ban on "propaganda of homosexualism" among minors. The laws of nine of them prescribe punishments of administrative sanctions and/or fines. The laws in some of the regions also forbid so-called "propaganda of bisexualism and transgenderism" to minors. As of May 2013 the regions that had enacted these various laws, and the years in which they had passed the laws, included: Ryazan Oblast (2006), Arkhangelsk Oblast (2011), Saint Petersburg (2012), Kostroma Oblast (2012), Magadan Oblast (2012), Novosibirsk Oblast (2012), Krasnodar Krai (2012), Samara Oblast (2012), Bashkortostan (2012),[note 3] and Kaliningrad Oblast (February 2013).[note 4] Then, Arkhangelsk (2013) and Saint Peterburg (2014) removed the law.

National laws

In June 2013 the national parliament (the State Duma) unanimously adopted, and President Vladimir Putin signed,[56] a nationwide law banning distribution of materials promoting LGBT relationships among minors.[51][7][57][58][59] The law does not explicitly mention the word "homosexuality", but instead uses the euphemism "non-traditional sexual relationships".[7][60] Under the statute it is effectively illegal to perform any of the following in the presence of minors: hold gay pride events, speak in favor of gay rights, or say that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships.[7][55][57][61][62]

The law subjects Russian citizens found guilty to fines of up to 5,000 rubles and public officials to fines of up to 50,000 rubles.[63] Organizations or businesses will be fined up to 1 million rubles and be forced to cease operations for up to 90 days. Foreigners may be arrested and detained for up to 15 days then deported, as well as fined up to 100,000 rubles. Russian citizens who have used the Internet or media to promote "non-traditional relations" will be fined up to 100,000 rubles.[7]

The statute amended a law that is said to protect children from pornography and other "harmful information".[56] One of the authors of the statute, Yelena Mizulina, who is the chair of the Duma's Committee on Family, Women, and Children and who has been described by some as a moral crusader,[64][65][66] told lawmakers as the bill was being considered, "Traditional sexual relations are relations between a man and a woman.... These relations need special protection".[55] Mizulina argued that a recent poll had shown 88% of the public were in support of the bill.[67]

Commenting on the bill prior to its passage, President Putin said, during a visit to Amsterdam in April 2013, "I want everyone to understand that in Russia there are no infringements on sexual minorities' rights. They're people, just like everyone else, and they enjoy full rights and freedoms".[60] He went on to say that he fully intended to sign the bill because the Russian people demanded it.[55] As he put it, "Can you imagine an organization promoting pedophilia in Russia? I think people in many Russian regions would have started to take up arms.... The same is true for sexual minorities: I can hardly imagine same-sex marriages being allowed in Chechnya. Can you imagine it? It would have resulted in human casualties."[55] Putin also mentioned that he was concerned about Russia's low birth-rate and that same-sex relationships do not produce children.[56]

Critics say that the statute is written so broadly that it is in effect a complete ban on the gay rights movement and any public expression of LGBT culture.[17][55][60]

In July 2013, four Dutch tourists were arrested for allegedly discussing gay rights with Russian youths. The four were arrested for allegedly spreading "propaganda of nontraditional relationships among the under-aged" after talking to teens at a camp in the northern city of Murmansk.[68]

Domestic reactions

Saint Petersburg, 1 May 2014

According to a survey conducted in June 2013 by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), at least 90 percent of those surveyed were in favor of the law.[17][69]

Some of Russia's biggest stars, including Dima Bilan, Philipp Kirkorov and Nikolai Baskov, voiced their opposition to the laws. Other stars such as Valeriya support the anti-gay laws.[70]

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, responding to questions raised in the international community about the implications of the new law on the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics Games in Sochi, Russia, said the controversy over Russia's anti-gay propaganda law is an "invented problem" created by the Western media[71] and that the law does not discriminate against anyone.[72] He said that the law is intended to protect the right of children, whose young minds are still developing, from being exposed to propaganda about non-traditional sexual relationships, in the same way that children should be protected from messages promoting alcoholism and drug abuse.[72] He also said that the rights of all Olympic athletes, organisers, and visitors in Sochi would be respected. "An athlete of non-traditional sexual orientation isn't banned from coming to Sochi. But if he goes out into the streets and starts to propagandize, then of course he will be held accountable".[73]

The screenplay writer, Yuri Arabov, who is working on a new biopic of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky due to be released in 2015, has claimed that "it is far from a fact that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual," this is held in tension with the majority of scholars that acknowledge Tchaikovsky was definitely homosexual.[74] He further added that he would "not sign my name to a film that advertises homosexuality".[74] The film has been given Russian government funding, and Arabov's claim has been reinforced by Russia's culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, who when questioned on the issue claimed: "Arabov is actually right – there is no evidence that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual."[75][75] Scholars have pointed out that Tchaikovsky's homosexuality is in fact extensively documented in the composer's personal papers and correspondence.[75][76] There has been speculation in the Western press that the removal of all evidence of Tchaikovsky's homosexuality in the film - promoted by its director Kirill Serebrennikov as "the true story of the tragic love and death of the brilliant Russian composer" - is in response to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law.[74][75][76][77][note 5] Russian human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva described the passing of the law as "a step toward the Middle Ages."[7]

On 12 October 2013 a demonstration was organised by 15 to 20 LGBT rights activists in Russia's second largest city Saint Petersburg against the new law banning "homosexual propaganda" on the day after the National Coming Out Day.[78][79] The demonstration was blocked by far-right groups, such as radical Orthodox Christians, Cossack paramilitaries and nationalists.[80] After a fight broke out between the groups, the police arrested 67 people from the two opposing groups.[80]

Political parties in Russia have generally been reluctant to oppose this or other discriminatory policies against the LGBT community due to prevailing public opinion and the fact that the current laws essentially criminalize public support for LGBT-rights. Only a handful of small political parties have expressed any support for LGBT-rights.

The Libertarian Party of Russia sees the ban on "promoting" homosexuality as a violation of the right to the freedom of speech and expression.

International reactions and boycott

Activists painted the pedestrian pavement in front of the Russian Embassy in Finland with rainbow colors to protest Russian's anti-LGBT sentimentality and legislation. Similar activism has been done in Sweden.

International human rights organisations and the governments of developed democracies around the world have strongly condemned this Russian law.[81][82][83][84] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned this Russian statute and another similar one in Moldova (which was later repealed) as discriminatory and has made clear that the Russian statute in question is a violation of international human rights law, including the right of gay children to receive proper information.[85][86][87][88][89] The European Parliament has condemned Russia for homophobic discrimination and censorship[90] and the Council of Europe has called on Russia to protect LGBT rights properly.[91] The European Court of Human Rights had previously fined Russia for other infringements of LGBT rights.[92] In 2012 the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that a similar statute in the Russia's Ryazan Region was discriminatory, infringed on freedom of expression, and was inadmissible under international law—a Russian court in Ryazan later agreed and struck it down.[93][94] Some members of the gay community commenced a boycott of Russian goods, particularly Russian vodka.[95] Notable individuals have also responded to that ban.

Many Western celebrities and activists are openly opposed to the law and have encouraged a boycott of Russian products—notably Russian vodka—as well as a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which were scheduled to be held in Sochi, unless the Games were relocated out of Russia.[96][97][98][99] The boycott against Stoli vodka was called off after the owners publicly explained they were not a Russian company after all, were supporters of the LGBT community, and were opposed to the anti-gay laws. Also a game to dress up Putin as a gay was released during Sochi's Olympics to support the LGBT community and reached more than 500,000 players.[100][101] Tying into the international spotlight of the February 2014 Olympic games, months of Olympic protests of Russian anti-gay laws took place before the Games, with many campaigns targeted at the worldwide Olympic sponsors.

Political figures

United States President Barack Obama said that while he did not favour boycotting the Sochi Olympics over the law, "Nobody's more offended than me about some of the anti-gay and lesbian legislation that you've been seeing in Russia".[102] Obama subsequently, in September 2013, met with Russian gay rights activists during a visit to St. Petersburg to attend a meeting of the G-20 nations' leaders. Obama said that he was proud of the work the activists were doing. His aides had said that Obama's opposition to the anti-gay propaganda law was one reason Obama had canceled a meeting previously planned to have been held with Russian President Putin during the trip.[102]

The law was also condemned by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German cabinet secretaries,[103] British Prime Minister David Cameron,[104] Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr,[105] as well as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.[106]

Celebrities
"In 1936 the world attended the Olympics in Germany. Few participants said a word about Hitler's campaign against the Jews. Supporters of that decision point proudly to the triumph of Jesse Owens, while I point with dread to the Holocaust and world war. There is a price for tolerating intolerance".[119]
Athletes
Others

Summary table

Same-sex sexual activity legal (Since 27 May 1993)
Equal age of consent (Since 27 May 1993)[note 6]
Anti-discrimination laws in any area (Authorities don't recognize any need for special legislation)
Same-sex marriage(s) (Constitutional ban proposed)
Recognition of same-sex couples as de facto couples or civil partnerships (No recognition)
Joint and/or step adoption by same-sex couples (regardless of whether they live in Russia or abroad) (Only opposite-sex married couples allowed to adopt)[note 2]
Adoption by single homosexual people who live in Russia or (in case of Russian children) in foreign countries that do not recognize same-sex marriage (No legal restrictions based on sexual orientation for single people to adopt)[note 2]
Adoption of Russian children by single people or same-sex couples who live in foreign countries that do recognize same-sex marriage (Illegal since 3 July 2013)[8]
Gays allowed to serve openly in the military (Gay people can serve in the military, however, there is an unofficial "Don't ask, don't tell" policy)[2][3]
Right to change legal gender (Since 15 November 1997)[note 1]
MSMs allowed to donate blood (Since 16 April 2008)[136]
Freedom of expression Ban on distribution of propaganda for "non-traditional" relationships to those under 18 at federal level; some regions have their own legislation banning "propaganda of homosexuality, bisexuality and/or transgenderism")

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Federal Law On Acts of Civil Status (1997) provides for the possibility to rectify acts of civil status based on the document confirming sex transformation issued by a health institution (art.70). Also, transgender people can change their passport on the grounds of sex transformation. See the Administrative Legislation section of the Russian LGBT Network 2009 Report.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Adoption is being regulated by the Civil Procedure Code of Russia (Chapter 29); Family Code of Russia (Chapter 19); Federal Law On Acts of Civil Status (Chapter V). None of these documents contain any direct restriction or ban for homosexual people to adopt, though unmarried couples are not allowed to adopt children (Article 127.2 of the Family Code of Russia), and since same-sex marriage is not officially recognized, gay couples cannot adopt children together; nevertheless, single individuals can adopt (see also the Parent Relations section of the Russian LGBT Network 2009 Report). The Court makes the decision to allow or deny adoption considering many documents and testimonies, so it is unclear whether LGBT affiliation of the candidate adopter can be in fact an issue for a judge to make a negative decision.
  3. ↑ Bashkortostan is the only region where the law does not include any kind of administrative sanctions or fines.
  4. ↑ Kaliningrad Oblast's measure bans "propaganda of homosexualism" not only among minors, but among the population in general.
  5. ↑ The Guardian reported that late in 2012 the director Kirill Serebrennikov had admitted to the cinema website KinoPoisk that he was having trouble finding funding due to officials' concerns about the composer's homosexuality.
  6. ↑ The age of consent for homosexual acts was never specifically mentioned in the old Criminal Code of RSFSR, which was replaced with the new Criminal Code of Russia in 1996, and this new Code mentions the age of consent regardless of sexual orientation in Article 134.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Russia: Update to RUS13194 of 16 February 1993 on the treatment of homosexuals". Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 29 February 2000. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Gays are not Willingly Accepted in the Russian Army". english.pravda.ru. 1 December 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "New Soldiers Face Gay Tattoo Check". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Gay hunting season in Russia: Shocking documentary everyone should see
  5. ↑ Russian LGBTs seek asylum in US
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Paul Gallagher and Vanessa Thorpe (2 February 2014). "Shocking footage of anti-gay groups". Independent.ie. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Elder, Miriam (11 June 2013). "Russia passes law banning gay 'propaganda'". The Guardian.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Russia's Putin signs law limiting adoption by gays". USA Today. The Associated Press. 3 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Morello, Carol (4 June 2013). "Acceptance of gays in society varies widely". Washington Post.
  10. ↑ "The global divide on homosexuality: greater acceptance in more secular and affluent countries". Pew Research Global Attitudes Project. 4 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Smith, Tom W. (April 2011). "Cross-national differences in attitudes toward homosexuality" (PDF). Charles R. Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation (UCLA Law School).
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Public opinion poll: Majority of Russians oppose gay marriages and a gay President but support ban on sexual orientation discrimination". Gayrussia.ru. 19 May 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  13. ↑ "87% of Russians oppose gay parades". The Moscow Times. 12 March 2013.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Savenko, Yuri; Perekhov, Alexei (13 February 2014). "The State of Psychiatry in Russia". Psychiatric Times.
  15. ↑ Walker, Shaun (15 January 2015). "Patriotic group formed to defend Russia against pro-democracy protesters". The Guardian.
  16. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11426775/Thousands-take-part-in-Anti-Maidan-protest-in-Moscow-against-uprising-in-Ukraine.html
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Herszenhorn, David M. (11 August 2013). "Gays in Russia find no haven, despite support from the West". New York Times.
  18. ↑ "Same-sex marriages not allowed in Russia - Moscow registrar". Interfax-Religion. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  19. ↑ "Same-Sex Marriage Nixed By Russians". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 17 February 2005. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Gays are not willingly accepted in the Russian army". Pravda.ru. 1 December 2003.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Russian army put on alert for tell-tale tattoos". BBC News. 25 January 2013.
  22. ↑ Spinella, Peter (25 January 2013). "New soldiers face gay tattoo check". Moscow Times.
  23. ↑ "Moscow says No to May 25 gay pride parade". RIA Novosti. 15 May 2013.
  24. ↑ "Moscow bans 'satanic' gay parade". BBC News. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  25. ↑ "Gay Pride parade 'satanic': mayor". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  26. ↑ "European court fines Russia for banning gay parades". BBC News. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  27. ↑ "European court fines Russia for banning gay parades". BBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  28. ↑ "Gay parades banned in Moscow for 100 years". BBC. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  29. ↑ Clemons, Steve (8 June 2012). "Not The Onion: Moscow Bans Gay Pride for Next 100 years". The Atlantic. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  30. ↑ "Moscow bans gay pride for century ahead". Russia Today. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  31. ↑ "Vast majority of Russians oppose gay marriage and gay pride events – poll". Levada Public Opinion Center. Russia Today. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  32. ↑ http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Smith-CrossNational-NORC-May-2011.pdf
  33. ↑ "GAYRUSSIA - Равные права без компромиссов". Gayrussia.ru. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  34. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/world/europe/gays-in-russia-find-no-haven-despite-support-from-the-west.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
  35. ↑ "Connect The World: Becky Anderson interview of Anton Krasovsky". CNN. 13 August 2013.
  36. ↑ Garcia, Michelle (14 August 2013). "Russian TV presenter comes out on air, gets fired". Advocate.com.
  37. ↑ "Хабаровского учителя выгнали из школы и из университета за то, что он гей - Быстрый Slon". Slon.ru. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  38. ↑ "khabarovskie_natsisty". Amurburg.ru. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  39. ↑ "khabarovskie_gomofoby_". Amurburg.ru. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  40. ↑ МК: В Волгограде отпраздновали 9 мая жестоким убийством гея, MK: In Volgograd, 9 May was celebrated by murdering a gay.
  41. ↑ Murder in Kamchatka: homophobes or rednecks? Echo of Moscow radio station, 3 June 2013, 17:01
  42. ↑ КП:Замдиректора камчатского аэропорта убили за то, что он был геем, KP: Deputy director of Kamchatka airport was killed because he was gay.
  43. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/world/europe/russia-3-jailed-in-anti-gay-case.html
  44. ↑ "Russia's Largest Gay Nightclub Strives to Be a Haven Despite Horrific Attacks," 14 February 2014, Melia Patria via Nightline, ABC News
  45. ↑ "Russia's Largest Gay Club Has Shut Down," ABC News, 27 March 2014, by Melia Patria
  46. ↑ "Russian Drag Performer Builds New Life in US," ABC News, 26 June 2014, by Melia Patria
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 Healey, Daniel (19 July 2005) [2004]. "Russia". glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. glbtq, Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  48. ↑ "Russia says drivers must not have 'sex disorders'". BBC News. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  49. ↑ "Transgender people in Russia banned from driving, says legal amendment". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  50. ↑ "Health Ministry Says Transsexuals Can Still Drive in Russia". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Российская Федерация. Федеральный закон №436-ФЗ от 24 декабря 2010 г. «О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию», в ред. Федерального закона №135-ФЗ от 29 июня 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в статью 5 Федерального закона "О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию" и отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации в целях защиты детей от информации, пропагандирующей отрицание традиционных семейных ценностей». Вступил в силу с 1 сентября 2012 года. Опубликован: Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (www.pravo.gov.ru) от 30 June 2013 г. (№ 0001201306300001), 29 декабря 2010 г.. (The Russian Federation. Federal law #436-FZ of 24 December 2010 On the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development, as amended by the Federal law #135-FZ of 29 June 2013 On the introduction of amendments to Article 5 of the Federal law "On the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development" and divers legislative acts of the Russian Federation aimed at protecting children from information which propagandises the rejection of traditional family values. Effective as of 1 September 2012.).
  52. ↑ "Putin signs 'blasphemy' and 'gay propaganda' bills". Moscow Times. 2 July 2013.
  53. ↑ "Russia: Use Leadership to Repeal Discriminatory Propaganda Law | Human Rights Watch". Hrw.org. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  54. ↑ Nakamura, David. "Obama meets with gay rights activists in Russia". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 55.5 Alpert, Lukas I. (11 June 2013). "Russia passes bill banning gay 'propaganda'". Wall Street Journal.
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 Rose, Scott (1 July 2013). "Putin signs law banning gay 'propaganda' among children". Bloomberg.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 "Госдума приняла закон о "нетрадиционных отношениях"". BBC Russia. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  58. ↑ "ГД приняла закон об усилении наказания за пропаганду гомосексуализма среди подростков". РБК. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Шкель, Тамара (13 June 2013). Закон под "браво!. Rossiyskaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013. (translation) .. It is now possible to impose a fine of 50 to 100 thousand rubles for gay propaganda on the Internet.
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 "Q&A: Gay rights in Russia". BBC News. 13 August 2013.
  61. ↑ "ГД приняла закон об усилении наказания за пропаганду гомосексуализма среди подростков". РБК. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  62. ↑ Шкель, Тамара (13 June 2013). Закон под "браво!. Rossiyskaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013. (translation) .. It is now possible to impose a fine of 50 to 100 thousand rubles for gay propaganda on the Internet.
  63. ↑ "Putin signs anti-gay bill into law". Ria Novosti. 30 June 2013.
  64. ↑ Sonne, Paul (27 August 2013). "Parody painting of Putin in women's underwear seized in Russian raid". Wall Street Journal.
  65. ↑ Mills, Laura (10 August 2013). "Morality crusader fuels the fire". Vancouver Sun.
  66. ↑ Lipman, Masha (11 August 2013). "The battle over Russia's anti-gay law". New Yorker.
  67. ↑ Flintoff, Corey (18 June 2013). "Russian parliament may pass anti-gay law". NPR.
  68. ↑ "Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws: How a Dutch Activist Got Caught in the Crosshairs". Time (magazine). 5 August 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  69. ↑ Weaver, Courtney (16 August 2013). "Russia gay propaganda law fuels homophobic attacks". Financial Times.
  70. ↑ http://sputniknews.com/russia/20121220/178294940.html
  71. ↑ "Russia's anti-gay law uproar an 'invented problem' - sports minister". The Guardian. 18 August 2013.
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 "Russia: gay relationships like drug or alcohol abuse, says sports minister - video". The Guardian. 18 August 2013.
  73. ↑ Mills, Laura (1 August 2013). "Russia will enforce anti-gay law during Olympics". AP The Big Story.
  74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 "Screenwriter Questions Whether Tchaikovsky Was Gay, Sparking Furor in Russia". The New York Times. 23 August 2013.
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 75.2 75.3 "Tchaikovsky was not gay, says Russian culture minister". The Guardian. 18 September 2013.
  76. ↑ 76.0 76.1 "Sorry, Russia, but Tchaikovsky Was Definitely Gay". The Atlantic Wire. 23 August 2013.
  77. ↑ "Tchaikovsky's sexuality 'downplayed' in biopic under Russia's anti-gay law". The Guardian. 25 August 2013.
  78. ↑ "Gay rights protest in St. Petersburg ends in clashes, arrests". Reuters. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  79. ↑ "Gay rights protest in St Petersburg ends in clashes". The Guardian. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 "Dozens arrested in Russia as anti-gay activists harass LGBT protesters". Russia Today. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  81. ↑ "G20 leaders must reject Russia's homophobic law". Amnesty International. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  82. ↑ "Human Rights Watch blasts Olympics over growing Russian anti-gay hate". Americablog.com. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  83. ↑ "Danish Government warns Russia over anti-gay law. ·". Pinknews.co.uk. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  84. ↑ Australian Foreign Minister condemns Russia's "gay propaganda" ban | Gay Star News
  85. ↑ Moldova repeals 'gay propaganda' ban | Gay Star News
  86. ↑ "U.N. rights office rejects anti-gay laws of Russia, Moldava". 76 CRIMES. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  87. ↑ "United Nations Asks Russia to Kill Anti-Gay 'Propaganda' Bill". Southfloridagaynews.com. August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  88. ↑ "DisplayNews". Ohchr.org. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  89. ↑ Dan Littauer (2013). "German and EU foreign ministers slam Russia on gay rights". Gay Star News. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  90. ↑ "EU: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning Russian homophobic censorship law". Secular Europe Campaign. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  91. ↑ "Council of Europe head says Russia must protect LGBT rights". Reuters. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  92. ↑ "European court fines Russia for banning gay parades". BBC News. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  93. ↑ "UN Human Rights Committee: "Homosexual Propaganda" Conviction Violated Freedom of Expression". Ijrcenter.org. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  94. ↑ Jean Ann Esselink (3 October 2013). "A Russian Court Has Struck Down A Russian City's 'Gay Propaganda' Law". The New Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  95. ↑ Dodds, Eric (5 August 2013). "The Faulty Logic of the Russian-Vodka Boycott". Time.
  96. ↑ Smith-Spark, Laura; Black, Phil (4 August 2013). "Protests, boycott calls as anger grows over Russia anti-gay propaganda laws". CNN.
  97. ↑ "Lady Gaga: The Russian Government is criminal in its oppression of LGBT people". Pinknews.co.uk. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  98. ↑ "An Open Letter to David Cameron and the IOC". Stephenfry.com. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  99. ↑ Crary, David; Leff, Lisa (29 July 2013). "Russia's anti-gay laws impact Olympics, vodka sales". Huffington Post.
  100. ↑ http://www.putingaydressup.com
  101. ↑ http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2014/02/please_louise_president_vladim.php
  102. ↑ 102.0 102.1 Nakamura, David (6 September 2013). "Obama meets with gay rights activists in Russia". Washington Post.
  103. ↑ "German ministers say Russian gay law smacks of dictatorship". Reuters. 12 August 2013.
  104. ↑ "David Cameron rejects Stephen Fry's call for Russian Winter Olympics boycott". The Telegraph. 10 August 2013.
  105. ↑ Potts, Andrew (23 August 2013). "Australian foreign minister condemns Russia's 'gay propaganda' ban". GayStarNews.
  106. ↑ "Harper joins controversy over Russia's anti-gay law". The Globe and Mail. 9 August 2013.
  107. ↑ 107.0 107.1 107.2 Elder, Miriam (22 November 2012). "Russian court rejects complaint over Madonna gay rights comments". The Guardian.
  108. ↑ Radia, Kirit (23 March 2012). "Madonna may be charged under St. Petersburg anti-gay law". ABC News.
  109. ↑ 109.0 109.1 Kramer, Andrew E. (22 November 2012). "Russian judge dismissed suit against Madonna". New York Times.
  110. ↑ "Russia: Lawmaker accuses Madonna and Lady Gaga of breaking visa conditions and says Russian performances were illegal". pinknews.co.uk. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  111. ↑ "Tilda Swinton joins protests against Russian LGBT crackdown". 76 CRIMES. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  112. ↑ "Rosja: polski piosenkarz rezygnuje z konkursu piosenki - Tablica". queer.pl. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  113. ↑ 113.0 113.1 Roberts, Scott (5 August 2013). "Lady Gaga: The Russian Government is criminal in its oppression of LGBT people". PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  114. ↑ Michaels, Sean (9 December 2013). "Elton John voices gay rights concerns at Moscow concert". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  115. ↑ 115.0 115.1 "Elton John to Putin: I will show you gay people victimised under Russian law". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2014
  116. ↑ "An open letter to David Cameron and the IOC". Stephenfry.com. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  117. ↑ Gibson, Owen; Luhn, Alec (7 August 2013). "Stephen Fry calls for ban on Winter Olympics in Russia over anti-gay laws". The Guardian.
  118. ↑ 118.0 118.1 Brydum, Sunnivie (15 August 2013). "Harvey Fierstein, Dan Savage equate Russia to 1933 Nazi Germany". The Advocate.
  119. ↑ Fierstein, Harvey (21 July 2013). "Russia's anti-gay crackdown". New York Times.
  120. ↑ ""Prison Break"-stjerne ut av skapet i protest mot russisk homolov". Kjendis.no. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  121. ↑ kl.16:31 (28 August 2013). "Heiberg vil ikke kommentere Skei Grandes diktator-utspill". Dagbladet.no. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  122. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/Blondie/photos/a.10150192132768389.324043.76174813388/10152154861228389/?type=1
  123. ↑ https://twitter.com/BlondieOfficial/status/431844025608314880
  124. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/blondie-snubs-sochi-olympics-over-russias-biases-and-prejudices-9121430.html
  125. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/16/cher-winter-olympics-russia-gay-rights
  126. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ellie-goulding-boycotts-putin-over-antigay-laws-9090974.html
  127. ↑ "Rainbow nail varnish could get Swedish athlete imprisoned". Channel 4 News. 15 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013. Self-expression or gay propaganda? How a Swedish athlete at the Moscow World Championships could be imprisoned for her nail varnish.
  128. ↑ Luhn, Alec (15 August 2013). "Isinbayeva says Green Tregaro's gesture was disrespectful to Russia". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  129. ↑ "Olympics: Isinbayeva says 'misunderstood' over anti-gay remarks". GlobalPost. Agence France-Presse. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013. Russian pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva attempted Friday to play down the furore provoked by her anti-gay remarks, saying she was "misunderstood" and opposed to discrimination against homosexuals.
  130. ↑ 130.0 130.1 Montopoli, Brian (1 August 2013). "Olympic hopeful plants to defy anti-gay Russian laws". CBS News.
  131. ↑ Roberts, Scott (13 August 2013). "Former NBA player John Amaechi: 'The Winter Olympics shouldn't even be in Russia'". Pink News.
  132. ↑ Arnhild Aass Kristiansen (21 August 2013). "Fotgjengerfeltet ved den russiske ambassaden malt i regnbuefargene". Dagbladet.no. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  133. ↑ Kristjan Molstad, Mona W. Claussen, Olav Eggesvik (1 January 1970). "Regnbueprotest utenfor Russlands ambassade i Oslo". Osloby.no. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  134. ↑ "Rainbow zebra crossing protest at Russian embassy". Yle.fi. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  135. ↑ Shingler, Benjamin (8 September 2013). "'Kiss-in' rallies across globe protest Russia's anti-gay laws". Globe and Mail.
  136. ↑ "Russian Health Ministry Ends Ban on Blood Donations by Gays". UK Gay News. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2011.

Sources with multiple references

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LGBT in Russia.