After Russia’s Supreme Court declared the «international LGBT public movement» an extremist organization in 2023, queer people have had to look for new ways to protect themselves. For some women, that way has been marriage to a man: it allows them to look «like everyone else» in the eyes of others and enjoy the corresponding social privileges. But safety comes at the cost of hiding oneself and new psychological trauma. «Most» tells four such stories.

#state #lifeinRussia #queerwomen #LGBTQ #personalexperience #society #humanrights #repressionsinRussia #stigma #survivalstrategies #feminism

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The founder of the «Iskra» association, Gera Ugryumova, has been fighting discrimination against Russians in exile since September 2023. Before that, in order to obtain political asylum in Italy, she spent a year and a half processing documents for residence in the European Union — and for some time lived in shelters without an identity document or a bank account. Now the 24-year-old human rights activist, together with her team, helps compatriots in similar situations, and «Iskra» works only thanks to donations from private individuals. Right now, Gera is pushing European authorities to amend a regulation that prevents thousands of Russians in exile from opening bank accounts in European banks.

#advocacy #bureaucracy #WarinUkraine #HeraUgryumova #discrimination #EuropeanParliament #EuropeanUnion #interview #humanrights #sanctions #Emigration

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During the discussion in the Duma of the new repressive law, Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated: «Those who left abroad and harm the country are not the opposition, they are traitors, they are criminals». A little earlier, he branded political emigrants with an even harsher word in the now-familiar style of Russian politics, calling the initiative «a law against degenerates». But apparently he was very nervous, so he accidentally inserted an extra word — «against».

#ViacheslavVolodin #TheStateDuma #lawofscoundrels #foreignagents #Leviathan #humanrights #repressions #Russia #Esopolanguage

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She was imprisoned for her beliefs, refused to perform in the USSR in solidarity with dissident Natalia Gorbanevskaya, donated most of her earnings to charity, sang Bob Dylan's songs better than he did himself, and this year plans a farewell tour with him.

#1960s #America #BobDylan #JoanBaez #dictatorship #culturalhero #leftandright #music #NataliaGorbanevskaya #politicalactivism #humanrights #protests #theUSSR #feminism #folkrock #hippie

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In late December 1989, after a series of chance events, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship in Romania collapsed within days. Over a quarter-century in power, he ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands. The Ceaușescu regime enforced an absurd cult of personality, brutally suppressed any dissent, and plunged the country into a poverty so dire it stood out even among socialist states. Throughout most of his rule, the so-called «Genius of the Carpathians» waged a ruthless campaign against abortion. What were the consequences for Romania and its people?

#crayfish #state #dictatorship #women #History #humanrights #reproductivebenefit #Romania #socialism #Ceausescu

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Two years ago, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the «international LGBT social movement» an extremist organization. Since then, simply having a certain sexual orientation or gender identity can be used as grounds to accuse anyone who draws the state’s attention of extremism. LGBT people are afraid to go to the police or court, even if they themselves are the victims of crimes. Here are the stories of three people who have gone through such experiences.

#state #lifeinRussia #LGBT #personalexperience #violence #intolerance #society #humanrights #thatone #repressions

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The Trump administration is revising its approach to human rights assessments, excluding mentions of abuses in countries it does not wish to criticize excessively from its annual reports. Thus, in Russia, persecution of LGBT people and violence against women are no longer mandatory topics for coverage.

#StateDepartment #homereceipt #DonaldTrump #women #LGBT #MarkRubio #humanrights #rightturn #Russia #USA

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In 2023, when the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the non-existent «International LGBT Social Movement» an extremist organization, the Russian queer community finally went underground. For distributing any content mentioning LGBT, you can receive a hefty fine or even a criminal case. Stores stopped selling books with stories about same-sex love, online cinemas are deleting series and films with queer characters, and the social network VKontakte blocks search queries about LGBT. Queer people who agreed to talk about ways to preserve their identity under these conditions were forced to hide even for phone interviews—in friends’ apartments, or even in the forest.‍

#state #democracy #dictatorship #queer #LGBT #personalexperience #politicalrepressions #humanrights #Russia #sex

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«Some fear pain, others—poverty, exile, death. But there is a special kind of fear—it doesn’t shout, it simply lives in the chest and squeezes it from within. It’s the fear for someone who cannot protect themselves. My fear is for David. In Russia, children like him have almost no chance. We don’t need to be told what awaits David if he is deported. We know. And we are afraid. We are not afraid for ourselves—but for him. He smiles. He lives. But if he is sent back to Russia—he simply won’t be.»

#antiwaractions #fightagainstcorruption #VladimirPutin #IlyaYashin #MaximNovices #politicalpersecution #humanrights #PsychoneurologicalboardingschoolNo10 #PussyRiot #UnitedStates #Ukraine #FreeRussiaForum #Montenegro

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