In a distressing turn of events, Russian police raided yet another LGBTQ establishment, further exacerbating the already grim situation for LGBTQ individuals in the country. This latest incident unfolded less than two weeks after Russia’s highest court designated LGBTQ activists as extremists, signaling a deeply troubling crackdown on LGBTQ rights.
The video footage, shared by the local news outlet Ura.ru, captured the raid on Fame, a gay bar located in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city. Riot officers stormed the venue, abruptly cutting the music and flooding the space with harsh lighting. The patrons and staff were forced to exit the premises while officers shouted orders. The alarming escalation in targeting LGBTQ spaces follows a similar raid on gay bars in Moscow just the previous weekend, where clubgoers’ identification documents were checked and photographed.
A Disturbing Trend Under Putin’s Leadership
This series of raids is part of a decades-long crackdown on LGBTQ rights in Russia, occurring under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, who has maintained power for almost a quarter-century. The situation has worsened since the recent Supreme Court ruling that designated LGBTQ activists and the LGBTQ “movement” as extremists. Under Russian law, those found guilty of participating in or financing extremism can face sentences of up to 12 years in prison, effectively stifling organized advocacy for LGBTQ rights.
Renat Davletgildeev, an LGBTQ activist and journalist who fled Russia last year, lamented, “It’s a bleak, bleak part of history for Russian LGBTQ society, unfortunately, and we are only on the first step on the way to hell.”
The Erosion of LGBTQ Rights in Russia
The erosion of LGBTQ rights in Russia has been ongoing for years. In 2013, the infamous “gay propaganda law” was passed, making it illegal to “spread information about nontraditional sexual behavior” to minors. Subsequently, reports of the detainment and torture of over 100 gay and bisexual men in Chechnya in 2017 shocked the world. However, both the Russian and Chechen governments have denied these allegations.
Last year, a constitutional amendment was passed defining marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman as part of a referendum that allowed Putin to stay in power until 2036. The “gay propaganda law” was also expanded to apply to adults, banning public symbols or gestures of “nontraditional sexual relations” and imposing hefty fines. The Russian LGBT Network, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, was disbanded by a Russian court.
A Bleak Future for LGBTQ Russians
In a disturbing turn, Putin signed a law last year that banned gender-affirming care in Russia, further limiting the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ individuals. Tanya Lokshina, an associate director at Human Rights Watch, commented on the recent police raids, describing them as “particularly extreme.” She highlighted that while not all LGBTQ individuals are targeted, these actions send a chilling message, forcing many to stay silent or go into hiding.
Critics argue that the timing of the Supreme Court ruling is no coincidence, as it aims to vilify LGBTQ people ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in March, where Putin is virtually assured of victory. The situation is dire, and LGBTQ Russians face an uncertain and increasingly dangerous future as their rights continue to erode.
Maria Alyokhina, a member of Russia’s activist punk rock group Pussy Riot and a queer activist, summed up the prevailing sentiment, saying, “In Russia, there is a dark joke that there is no level of bottom. So it definitely can be worse, and with this terrible law, it would be worse.” The plight of LGBTQ individuals in Russia remains a pressing human rights concern on the global stage.