The Russian Supreme Court declared on Thursday that LGBT activists should be labeled as extremists, a development that the transgender community and their advocates are concerned would result in criminal charges and arrests.
Although the hearing took place in a closed room, reporters were granted access to listen to the court’s ruling. According to the court, no one from “the defendant’s side” was present.
A proposal by the justice ministry to label “the international LGBT social movement” as extreme and prohibit its operations was approved, according to court reporters.
Three years ago, a provision was added to the Russian constitution clarifying that marriage is defined as a relationship between a man and a woman. None of the local laws recognise same-sex unions.
The government of Russia has put more and more pressure on Russia’s LGBT community in recent years. “The propaganda [amongst minors] of non-traditional sexual relations” is specifically forbidden by law as of 2013.
All age groups in Russia were subject to those limitations last year. Books, movies, ads, and TV shows no longer include any LGBT characters or stories. To avoid accusations of breaking the “gay propaganda” ban, one Russian TV channel earlier this month altered a South Korean pop video by miscolouring in a rainbow.
This follows a trend of tightening regulations around the expression of gender identity and sexual orientation in Russia, which has seen legislation prohibiting medical or legal gender transitions as well as the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual encounters.
Vladimir Putin has long worked to portray Russia as a defender of old moral principles in opposition to the Western world’s decadence, and he is anticipated to declare his intention to seek reelection in March.
While he acknowledged that Western nations may embrace “rather strange, in my view, new-fangled trends like dozens of genders, and gay parades” in their own discourses, he firmly stated that they did not have the authority to force such ideas on other nations.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Putin, informed reporters prior to the announcement of the court verdict that the Kremlin was “not following” the case and would not comment on it.
After beginning its session at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), the Supreme Court took around five hours to deliver its verdict.
According to LGBT activists, the decision was anticipated following the justice ministry’s request on November 17. The ministry claimed, without providing specific examples, that the LGBT movement in Russia had displayed “various signs and manifestations of extremist orientation, including the incitement of social and religious discord” in their actions.
In a recent interview with Reuters TV, LGBT activist Alexei Sergeyev of St. Petersburg said, “Of course it’s very alarming, and I don’t remember the threat ever being so serious and real.”
Rep. Vitaly Milonov (United Russia), a famously homophobic member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, stated that the prohibition on LGBT groups was “not about sexual minorities or the private life of individuals” while speaking in that chamber.
“I think [the court hearing] is linked to the presidential election next March,” said Sergei Troshin in an interview with BBC. “[The authorities] are creating an artificial enemy.”
“They say ‘We are battling the West’. The battle with LGBT people fits in with this anti-Western rhetoric. Fighting both the West and the LGBT community is popular amongst the conservative, anti-Western part of society. So this topic will be pushed in the run-up to the election.”
“They’re trying to distract attention from more important problems, which the Russian authorities don’t want people to think about,” says Maxim Goldman, who works for a Russian organisation that has been offering support to transgender and non-binary people.
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