Haoyang Xu, a Chinese student studying in the Russian city of Kazan, was arrested on April 5 and found guilty of violating Russia’s ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda’ ban, which criminalizes any act seen as promoting queer identities. He had been documenting his life with his partner, Gela Gogishvili, on social media.
Xu was held in a detention center for foreigners and was threatened with deportation from Russia. After enduring inhumane conditions, such as being given only dirty water to drink and sleeping on a “cold stone,” he was released and reunited with Gogishvili. The couple celebrated their reunion on TikTok, sharing a series of photographs.
Russia has a history of persecuting, discriminating against, and silencing LGBTQ+ individuals, with the government passing the first iteration of the ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda’ law in 2013. The law originally barred any media seen by minors, but it was extended to all age ranges in December 2022 as part of President Vladimir Putin’s increasing efforts to crack down on queer lives and cast the country as facing a battle against ‘corrupting Western values.’
Anna-Maria Tesfaye, co-founder of the LGBTQ+ group Queer Svit, stated that it is “very dangerous” for queer people to stay in Russia, especially for trans folks and LGBTQ+ people of color like Xu and Gogishvili. Tesfaye added that it is “heartbreaking and scary” that those who are already stigmatized and traumatized cannot receive support.
The couple’s experience sheds light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia, where persecution and discrimination remain rampant. Despite the obstacles, organizations such as Queer Svit continue to provide support to those in need.
