Cocktail of fear, disappointment, and anxiety: how gay men reacted to the recently passed anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws
Recently Russian legislators have added new anti-LGBTQ+ laws that infringe on LGBT community rights. First, at the end of 2022, the president signed a new law that imposed a complete ban on "LGBT propaganda". This meant that any materials presenting non-heterosexual relationships were prohibited. Moreover, the State Duma has just recently approved amendments to various legislative acts which, in fact, ban gender transition. We spoke with members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Barents region to find out how these changes have impacted them.
Alexey, 40 (Murmansk)
“—When I read about the current lawmaking, I feel a terrible cocktail of fear, disappointment, concern, anger, and anxiety. As someone who naturally yearns for physical affection with my boyfriend - like holding hands, kissing, or cuddling up together - it's beyond comprehension that these simple gestures could be considered evil, something bad, dirty, or wrong. Why is it suddenly illegal? I don't understand.
I think that those who propose these laws fall into one of two categories: either they're deeply homophobic individuals who will never change their minds, or they're calculating politicians who use these laws to sow division and distract from the real issues facing society. By creating an 'internal enemy', they seek to divide and conquer.
I'm so pissed off by the 'keep it in the bedroom' argument. When you're in a committed relationship, your partner is a big part of your life, and hiding that relationship is emotionally draining.
I thought my generation, raised in the more progressive 2000s, valued freedom, the right to be yourself and open-mindedness. But the recent events have revealed that even my generation can be manipulated and swayed by hate. My social circle consists of educated and reasonable people, so I assumed that a certain level of acceptance was the norm. But they probably wouldn't have gone to an LGBT pride parade. They would have likely discussed, sighed, and made some potentially insensitive jokes.”
Andrey, 32 (Murmansk)
“— It would be interesting to see how this affects people on a psychological level - perhaps there are studies on this topic. In recent years, society seemed to be moving toward greater acceptance, but I think true tolerance is achieved when people don't pay attention to someone's differences, rather than trying to actively 'accept' them. In this case, the issue has been co-opted for political purposes, to create an enemy that can be fought and defeated, leading to a "win" - in this case, the implementation of bans. It's a sad state of affairs.”
Roman, 29 (Murmansk)
“– I've always been pretty careful online, so the recent changes haven't affected me much. But I know that's not the case for everyone. In my community, people are generally accepting of homosexuality, and they treat me like anyone else. I don't feel in immediate danger, but it feels like things could change quickly. Without action, we could end up in a Chechnya-like situation within the next few years.”
Nikita, 20 (Arkhangelsk)
“– I'm just exhausted by the way the authorities are handling things - not just in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, but in general. For me, the solution is simple: I want to live authentically and be my true self. I have many gay friends, so my community is a great support system for me, and that's what really matters to me. I've stopped caring about what the government does or what people think - I'm just living my life.”
Gleb, 36 (Murmansk)
“– Frankly, I was a bit oblivious to the new laws. I'm generally opposed to any kind of bans. Based on my experience, people around me - friends, family - seem to have the same level of indifference toward the LGBTQ+ community as they did before. Perhaps that's because the people I interact with aren't directly impacted by the laws.”
Egor, 22 (Monchegorsk, Murmansk Oblast)
“– These laws may make me uneasy but in general I don’t care about them. I think normal people have long realized that there's nothing wrong with homosexual men. No matter what laws the government passes, common sense is more important. There's a clear disconnect between the government's point of view and the views of the people. The 'SMO' news coverage is a great example of this. People will think what they want. It's definitely scary to watch the government try to stomp all over our rights and values. However, I'm comforted by the fact that these laws are being widely discussed and criticized - it shows that people are paying attention and standing up for what's right. I'm optimistic that things will continue to improve.”
Konstantin, 27 (Kola, Murmansk Oblast)
“The law prohibiting gender transition is absolutely inhumane. The same goes for what is happening in Ukraine now. I actually never planned such a transition, and even if I wanted to, I probably wouldn't ever have the nerve to. But the fact that the state does not accept me, equates me with the insane, prohibits me from adopting children, getting married... to put it mildly, makes me angry. I hope people come to their senses, but I'm afraid this can only happen in the beautiful Russia of the future.”
Maxim, 25 (Murmansk)
“All of the recent legislative initiatives of my country haven't evoked any emotions in me, except for confusion. It's all become a ridiculous farce, and it's difficult to believe that it's even real. After the first law prohibiting propaganda and the ensuing debate, after stories of rainbow ice cream and other examples highlighting the absurdity of the law, it seemed to me that our society became more tolerant. In fact, in recent years, I've even felt safer (despite the ongoing war). I've come out to friends, my colleagues know about my orientation, and I've always felt supported.
I didn't care about other people's opinions, but lately I've been hearing a certain point of view more often: 'I don't mind gay people, as long as they don't hit on me.' While it's certainly better than outright hatred, but damn, I still fear that the part of society that's been brainwashed by TV and mindlessly consumes whatever it spews out may develop a more negative viewpoint, and that frustrates me.
I hope that common sense will ultimately prevail - I would say that.”
Alexey, 28 (Monchegorsk. Lives in Georgia)
“It's been nearly a year since I left Russia, so I'm observing all this from afar. Of course, it hurts to see what's happening in my home country, and I feel sorry to see the tightening of restrictions for ideological reasons. To the lawmakers who pass all this crap, it seems as though we're pushing a harmful Western lifestyle on them and trying to impose our way of life.
As far as I know from the statistics, negative attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community started to rise in 2013, when all these laws were passed. The government has a monopoly on a number of sources of information, such as television and major federal media outlets and people who only consume content from those sources develop negative attitudes, which fosters homophobia.
It's ridiculous that a bunch of draconian anti-transgender laws were passed in such a short amount of time when previously, nobody even cared about the issue. <…> To my knowledge, in Iran, even with their strict system and Islamic norms, they allow gender transition - it's perfectly legal. On the one hand, it's unfortunate that such laws are passed purely to appease the higher-ups, but on the other hand, it's also shown us that there wasn't really a genuine demand for transphobia or the prohibition of gender transition in society.
But now, with the passing of this law, just as it happened with the LGBT propaganda law, negative stereotypes and perceptions about this group may be formed in the minds of the general public.This can have long-term negative consequences for transgender people, who already face significant challenges and discrimination. This is one of the negative consequences that, in the long run, can complicate the already difficult situation of transgender people.
Personally, nothing in my life has changed, and my social circle continues to be accepting. But it's a shame that a group of out-of-touch, older politicians have taken control of the government and successfully pushed their agenda, which has no way to be rejected by society.”
*All names of individuals have been changed to protect their privacy.
Editor's note:
A few respondents refused to speak after agreeing to an interview. Despite assurances of anonymity, some respondents cited their fear of being identified as the reason for their refusal to participate. There were also those who hadn't given much thought to how these laws impacted their personal lives and didn't want to discuss it. Nevertheless, all of them made it clear that their lives go on, either with a partner, searching for one, or enjoying life on their own. It's important to remember that during these stressful times, it's crucial to have loved ones around to share your worries with and continue living. And of course, to believe in a better future.
Written by Kirill Shmatkov