Russia: Two Arrested Under New Anti-LGBTQ+ Law

Facts

• A Russian court has ordered the arrest of two employees of an LGBTQ+ club on charges of organizing an 'extremist organization.' This is the country's first legal action under new legislation which banned the 'international LGBT movement' last November.¹
• Alexander Kilmov and Diana Kamilyanova, the art director and administrator of the Pose club, could face up to 10 years in prison after the Orenburg court ruled that they 'acted in premeditation with a group of people... who also support the views and activities of the international public association LGBT.'²
• Earlier, police had raided Pose after members of the Russian Community of Orenburg reported the nightclub's drag show to authorities and reportedly seized items, including video recorders, laptops, sets of women's clothing, 15 wigs, and a set of false breasts.³
• The defendants, who were earlier accused of 'promoting non-traditional sexual relations among the visitors of the bar,' will remain in custody until May 18.⁴
• Last year, Russia's Supreme Court ruled that the 'LGBT movement' incited social and religious discord and declared the 'international LGBT movement' an 'extremist organization.'⁵
• The ruling built upon legislation from 2013 that banned Russians from promoting 'non-traditional' relationships among children.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²BBC News, ³Advocate, ⁴South China Morning Post, ⁵Yahoo Life and ⁶WION.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Amnesty International. Russia's brutal and oppressive regime continues its human rights abuses by criminalizing the LGBTQ+ community and declaring the non-existent 'international LGBT movement' to be 'extremist.' Russia's laws are purposefully nebulous, and are intended to infringe on the free expression of LGBTQ+ persons. The authoritarian and regressive policies are reprehensible and demonstrate the depths of Russia's bigotry.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by RT International. Russia has implemented laws promoting traditional values that all societies have held for millennia. However, radical extremists have hijacked international organizations and governments to push overt anti-family propaganda. The Kremlin has an obligation to ensure that LGBTQ+ people are restricted from flaunting their lifestyles in front of children.

Predictions