“We Stay Despite the Fear”: Why LGBTQ+ People Remain in Russia
Despite intensifying repression against the LGBTQ+ community, transgender and queer people continue to live, build relationships, fight for their rights, and create support networks within Russia. A new report by OVD-Info highlights how, even in the face of bans on gender transition, criminal cases tied to queer nightlife, fines for rainbow flags, and widespread censorship of queer content, individuals find ways to be themselves.
The stories of Kolya, Maria, Sofia, and Egor reveal everyday resistance and inner resilience. Kolya, a transgender man from St. Petersburg, managed to complete document changes and gender-affirming surgeries despite opposition from both his family and the medical system. Today, he works as a shop assistant, supports other trans people, and hides his identity from his wife’s parents to avoid family conflict.
Sofia, a lesbian writer, published her book abroad to bypass domestic censorship. She continues to teach and live in her hometown despite pressure and constant “watchdog monitoring” from authorities. Egor, a barista and blogger, came out publicly and continues to create content, saying that his followers' support gives him strength to persist.
The 2023 ban on “gender change” and the 2024 designation of the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization have drastically worsened conditions. People risk arrest over rainbow flags, are denied access to healthcare, and see queer organizations shut down or driven underground.
Yet, as human rights lawyer Kseniya Mikhaylova from the organization Vykhod notes, these developments endanger not only LGBTQ+ people but society as a whole: “Repression against one group increases the risk of repression for others. No one is immune from becoming part of a persecuted group.”
Many people profiled in the report say they don’t want to leave Russia — not because they don’t feel fear, but because it remains their home. Even under threat, to live, to love, and to create becomes an act of defiance.
The stories of Kolya, Maria, Sofia, and Egor reveal everyday resistance and inner resilience. Kolya, a transgender man from St. Petersburg, managed to complete document changes and gender-affirming surgeries despite opposition from both his family and the medical system. Today, he works as a shop assistant, supports other trans people, and hides his identity from his wife’s parents to avoid family conflict.
Sofia, a lesbian writer, published her book abroad to bypass domestic censorship. She continues to teach and live in her hometown despite pressure and constant “watchdog monitoring” from authorities. Egor, a barista and blogger, came out publicly and continues to create content, saying that his followers' support gives him strength to persist.
The 2023 ban on “gender change” and the 2024 designation of the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization have drastically worsened conditions. People risk arrest over rainbow flags, are denied access to healthcare, and see queer organizations shut down or driven underground.
Yet, as human rights lawyer Kseniya Mikhaylova from the organization Vykhod notes, these developments endanger not only LGBTQ+ people but society as a whole: “Repression against one group increases the risk of repression for others. No one is immune from becoming part of a persecuted group.”
Many people profiled in the report say they don’t want to leave Russia — not because they don’t feel fear, but because it remains their home. Even under threat, to live, to love, and to create becomes an act of defiance.