Russia has fined seven people at a nightclub for wearing clothes that were considered “too gay.”

Russia Has Expanded Its Ban on LGBTQ “Propaganda”

Vladimir Putin has expanded Russia’s already draconian ban on LGBTQ+ “propaganda,” effectively criminalizing any and all depictions of homosexuality and banning “information that can make children want to change their sex.” 

The Russian president signed the bill into law on Monday, after the parliament approved it last Thursday, according to Reuters. The law expands the country’s 2013 ban on so-called LGBTQ+ “propaganda.” Whereas the prior ban applied only to media that minors might see, this new law bans any depictions of “non-traditional sexual relations or preferences” for both adults and minors. 

Its passage comes amid Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine, and amid general escalating tensions with the West. In both instances, Putin has invoked the notion of “protecting traditional values” as an excuse, and the expanded propaganda ban comes as the latest facet of that goal.

The updated law explicitly bans “information that can make children want to change their sex,” and will require users to verify their age using a “special code” on “paid resources” for transition-related care. However, the law also specifies that where that verification is “technically impossible,” that information will be totally prohibited. Advertisements will be banned from depicting queer relationships, and movies with queer relationships will not receive a rental license. 

The Russian law has already started taking effect, with the Moscow Times reporting Tuesday that Russian bookstores have already started removing books depicting LGBTQ+ relationships from bookstores. LitRes, a Russian e-book seller, has even asked authors to rewrite their books to conform to the propaganda law.

Tanya Lokshina, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that the updated law “seeks to stoke fear and hatred about a minority.”

“It cuts off kids from the services they need to thrive, and in some cases even survive,” she added. “The proposed legislation and the original ‘gay propaganda’ ban have no place in any society and belong in the trash.” 

If citizens are found to violate this expanded ban on “gay propaganda,” they could be fined anywhere from 50,000 to 400,000 rubles, or roughly $800 to $6,000 USD. Officials will be fined even more, with legal entities facing the heaviest fines along with a potential suspension of activities for up to 90 days. The punishments for violating the ban on transition-related information for minors are nearly identical. Foreign citizens and “stateless persons” will be deported from Russia for violating these laws. 

While Russia has had some form of this law in place since 2013, this updated version shows that the attacks on queer and trans people in the United States are not solely a national phenomenon, but part of a larger conservative backlash against LGBTQ+ gains worldwide.