The organization has been cut off from government funding and warns that key HIV support services may shut down.

Starting March 2026, a new law will ban films deemed to “discredit spiritual and moral values.”

Our colleagues from the LGBTQ+ group “Vyhod” and the “Sphere” Foundation have published their third annual report on the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.

Since the designation of the LGBTQ+ movement as an “extremist organization” in November 2023, at least 51 raids have been carried out on venues associated with the LGBTQ+ community in Russia.

The LGBTQ+ community has found itself in legal and physical danger: new repressive measures, stricter legislation, a ban on gender transition, raids on LGBTQ+ establishments, and the forced underground operation of support programs and NGOs.

GenQ Pride is organized by a team of activists with a focus on Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and other regions.

Harassment, administrative threats, and politically motivated expulsions — just some of the challenges LGBTQ+ students may face at university. How higher education institutions are becoming increasingly conservative.

We examine how homophobic views and militarism can merge into a single narrative, leading to degrading practices. How conscription has affected the LGBTQ+ community in Russia.

In St. Petersburg, a new charge was filed against the bookstore Podpisnye Izdaniya under the "LGBT propaganda" law (Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The court hearing is scheduled for July 9.

The investigation has yielded no results, and the case is losing attention from human rights organizations. Seyda Suleymanova’s family continues to demand a thorough investigation and that those responsible be held accountable.

Roskomnadzor has blocked the largest fanfiction platform, "Ficbook," for hosting so-called "LGBT propaganda." In response, the site's administrators have hidden the "slash" and "femslash" genres from Russian users.

In 2024, large-scale repression against LGBTQ+ people began in Russia. Following the designation of the “International LGBT Movement” as extremist, criminal cases have been initiated, searches and arrests have taken place, and people are being punished for symbols, participation in events, or simply for belonging to the community. The repression has become systemic and unpredictable.

Russian authorities are discussing launching a database to track LGBTQ+ individuals. While the registry has not yet been created, the Interior Ministry is already using raids, fake dates, and pressure on trans people to gather information. Human rights defenders warn of data leak risks and urge people to avoid public exposure.

Human rights advocates are concerned about a statement by Health Minister Mikhail Murashko regarding the creation of an institute to study the “behavior” of LGBTQ+ individuals and “public behavior.”

In 2023, around 19,000 materials containing information about LGBTQ+ people were blocked. Courts fined 12 video services a total of 29.3 million rubles for displaying LGBTQ+ content.

Dagestan follows Chechnya’s lead. Human rights activists report that after the arrest of gay blogger Matvey Volodin, detentions of people suspected of being homosexual continue in city cafés.

A survey by Center T revealed serious challenges: limited access to medical care, inability to change gender markers, and rising discrimination. Many see emigration as the only way out.

Amid repressive laws, scammers are targeting queer individuals, threatening to report them to the police or publicly out them. An investigation by “7x7” reveals how this system of intimidation operates — and why victims are afraid to seek help.

After the LGBTQ+ movement was labeled “extremist” and censorship intensified, Russian academia is rapidly losing space for gender and queer studies. Professors are being fired, articles are no longer published, and students are forced to change their thesis topics.

Amid legalized homophobia and escalating repression, transgender and non-binary people in Russia are increasingly avoiding public meetups and online dating. In response, safe community-based spaces for connection are emerging — such as the “Queer Matchmaker” initiative.

Amid escalating pressure on the LGBTQ+ community in Russia, many queer people choose to stay despite the threat of arrests, censorship, and violence. In this OVD-Info report: stories of trans people, writers, and bloggers who continue to fight for their right to live, love, and express themselves.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic has deteriorated. The conflict has served as a pretext for intensifying repression against human rights defenders, journalists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as for introducing forced mobilization.

According to SK SOS, in the Chechen Republic, LGBTQ+ people have long been unofficially equated with terrorists and extremists: they are placed in solitary confinement, held in basements, subjected to torture, and blackmailed with criminal charges. The practice that was formalized at the federal level by the Supreme Court’s ruling on “LGBT extremism” had already been in use in Chechnya for many years.

After the ban on “LGBT propaganda” and the designation of the LGBTQ+ movement as extremist, the drag scene in Russia has come under threat. However, drag artists are not giving up: they continue to perform despite fear, lack of safety, and intensified censorship.

A new practical guide for psychologists and professionals working with transgender clients — based on scientific data and years of experience.

In August 2023, a sociological study was conducted in Russia, focusing on public perceptions of "traditional" and "European" values, as well as the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals. The nationwide telephone survey covered 1,600 respondents with a representative sample by gender, age, and federal districts.

According to SK SOS, in the Chechen Republic, LGBTQ+ people have long been unofficially equated with terrorists and extremists: they are placed in solitary confinement, held in basements, subjected to torture, and blackmailed with criminal charges. The practice that was formalized at the federal level by the Supreme Court’s ruling on “LGBT extremism” had already been in use in Chechnya for many years.

According to SK SOS, the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals in Chechnya has evolved into a repressive industry: detainees are tortured, ransomed, and used as bait to entrap others. Security forces reportedly receive tens of thousands of rubles for each "captured" gay person, turning the repression market into a stable tool of control and profit.