Russia's government has begun handing down convictions against people perceived to be openly LGBTQ+ or allies. This is a direct result of a new law that bans people from wearing or displaying symbols associated with queerness, including the simple use of rainbow color schemes on jewelry or online.
Sign the petition to demand that the Russian legislature repeal its hateful, terrifying new anti-LGBTQ+ law!Today in Russia,
you can be fined and sentenced to detention for "offenses" that include: posting a picture of rainbow flags on social media or wearing frog-shaped earrings painted in rainbow colors. In fact,
these are actual excuses the government has used in the past month to convict several people.
For approximately a decade, Russia
has prohibited "the promotion of 'non-traditional' sexual relations." But in recent months, the government has begun ramping up its frighteningly anti-queer campaign.
In July 2023, the legislature banned any and all gender-affirming medical care for transgender Russians, as well as any legal changes to documents or paperwork to correspond to trans individuals' gender identities.
Then, in November 2023, the country's supreme court outlawed the so-called "international LGBT social movement," which the government has labeled "extremist."
Now, any and all symbols relating to LGBTQ+ pride and love are seen as examples of promoting extremism - and are punishable by law.Openly embracing who you are and who you love shouldn't be controversial. Yet it's already being used as a reason to hate, intimidate, and commit violence against queer people all over the globe.
For Russia to be doubling down on its criminalization of queerness is terrifying - and we must speak out now. Lawmakers there must immediately repeal this cruel, homophobic new law. Sign the petition now!