Russian security forces raided gay clubs and bars across Moscow Friday night, less than 48 hours after the country’s top court banned what it called the “global LGBTQ+ movement” as an extremist organization. The rise of hatred among Russian politicians towards the LGBTQ+ community was made visible in 2013 when the Kremlin adopted the first legislation restricting LGBTQ+ rights, known as the gay propaganda law, banning any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors. In 2020, constitutional reforms pushed through by Putin to extend his rule by two more terms also included a provision to outlaw same-sex marriage. After sending troops into Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin ramped up a campaign against what it called the West’s degrading influence. Rights advocates saw it as an attempt to legitimize the war. That same year, a law was passed banning propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among adults, also, effectively outlawing any public endorsement of LGBTQ+ people. However, Russian authorities still reject accusations of LGBTQ+ discrimination. Earlier this month, Russian media quoted Deputy Justice Minister Andrei Loginov as saying that the rights of LGBT people in Russia are protected legally. He was presenting a report on human rights in Russia to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, arguing that restraining public demonstration of nontraditional sexual relationships or preferences is not a form of censure for them.
