In Russia, homophobic laws have been in force for more than a decade. They lead to discrimination and increase the level of hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people. We publish research and data revealing these negative consequences of the laws. Our goal is to gather evidence, which is necessary for future legal reform and condemnation of the Russian discriminatory state policies.
In modern-day Russia, inequality and injustice exist toward LGBTQIA+ people. There have never been laws allowing same-sex couples to form unions or civil partnerships. Moreover, the Russian authorities have introduced numerous restrictions and discriminatory regulations against LGBTQIA+ individuals. More than 150 people have been fined, arrested, or deported over the past ten years because of the “gay propaganda” law, which was enacted in 2013 and expanded in 2022. Due to vague language in the law, it is impossible to determine what constitutes “propaganda”. It has led to punishments for speaking about non-heterosexual orientation on social media or wearing clothing with a rainbow print in public. Films, music, and books with even the slightest mention of LGBTQIA+ themes are censored or outright banned. Federal media demonise LGBTQIA+ people, creating the image of an enemy. In 2023, the Supreme Court of Russia recognized the so-called “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organisation. Participation in such an organisation is a criminal offence. As a result of this decision, three people who ran a gay bar have already been arrested. They face up to six years in prison.
In these conditions, LGBTQIA+ people cannot live openly and be safe. Discriminatory laws have intensified negative attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ individuals and sparked an increase in hate crimes. The Grey Rainbow project documents evidence of this harm, including direct consequences, such as fines for “gay propaganda”, and indirect consequences like hate crimes. We collect and analyse data from open sources and publish stories to ensure journalists, researchers, NGOs, and society are aware of the harm caused by discriminatory laws.
We are confident that our work will contribute to future public discussion and condemnation of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in Russia.
In post-Soviet Russia, there were progressive policies decriminalising (1993) and depatholo- gising (1999) homosexuality. However, these policies did not lead to furhter laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2006, institutional discrimination started shaping with the “gay propaganda” law. See the timeline of Russian discriminatory policies below.
In 2013, Russia introduced a nationwide ban on “gay-propaganda” that led to an increased hostility towards LGBTQIA+ people and a significant surge in hate crime cases. The early 2020s saw further restrictions, potentially triggering a new wave of discrimination and violence as these laws continue to shape social attitudes.
The Grey Rainbow project is a collaboration between researchers and Dataout, a foundation that helps journalists, researchers, and human rights advocates report on discrimination and improve the legal and societal environment for LGBTQIA+ people and everyone who faces injustices based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics or SOGIESC.
greyrainbow@dataout.org
In the design of this website, we use illustrations taken from the watercolour series “Veshchdoc” (“Physical evidence”) by the artist Polina Zaslavskaya, who has kindly granted us permission for their use. The artist retains all rights to the images.