Russian authorities have declared the most important LGBTQ group in Russia to be a "foreign agent." The LGBT Network has supported lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people in Russia since 2006. Now the government is cracking down on it. The LGBT Network, founded in 2006 and active in several regions of Russia, was added to the Justice Ministry's register on Monday.
The group states that it supports lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, as well as their families. It also advocates for education and has collected evidence of discrimination. In February, LGBT Network announced the arrest of two Chechens, who were subsequently taken to Chechnya. Human rights groups accuse the authorities there of imprisoning and torturing homosexuals in secret prisons.
This year, dozens of journalists and several independent media outlets in Russia have been classified as "foreign agents." This designation requires them to disclose all their sources of income and label all their publications.
For years, the LGBT movement has been persecuted by the state and society. A constant stream of new laws aims to suppress any form of dissemination, public discussion, and public appearances related to homosexuality in Russia. This makes it all the more important to report on this issue.
Demonstrations advocating for the rights of lesbians, gays, and transgender people are legally classified as disseminating "homosexual propaganda" and are therefore usually banned immediately. Demonstrations that do take place are, if not broken up beforehand by homophobic citizens, violently suppressed by the police.
The Orthodox Church plays a particularly significant role in this violence against people with diverse sexual orientations. It demonizes all forms of non-heterosexual lifestyles and uses its influence on the state and society—unfortunately, very successfully.
