Crackdown on LGBTQ+ Communities in Russia

The Russian government's recent crackdown on LGBTQ+ communities has intensified significantly since 2023, coinciding with the country's Supreme Court banning what it terms the 'global LGBT movement.' This ban follows previously enacted laws that restrict positive representations of queer relationships and prohibit transgender individuals from legally changing their documents. As a result, members of the LGBTQ+ community are now more vulnerable than ever, facing potential fines or imprisonment simply for expressing their identities, such as holding hands in public or attending queer spaces. Activists note that this institutional hostility serves as a scapegoating mechanism for a regime using traditional values to garner popular support during a time of geopolitical turmoil.