LGBT Ukraians terrified of Rsia's war on gay and transgenr people - Los Angel Tim

Contents:

• INSI THE IRON CLOSET: WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY PUT'S RSIA
• MAJORY OF RSIANS BELIEVE GAYS NSPIRG TO STROY UNTRY'S VALU, POLL FDS
• 'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY
• GAY MAN RSIA FORCED TO HIDG OVER YOUTUBE TERVIEW
• ‘THEY STARVE YOU. THEY SHOCK YOU’: INSI THE ANTI-GAY POGROM CHECHNYA
• 1 5 RSIANS WANT GAYS AND LBIANS 'ELIMATED,' SURVEY FDS
• PUT’S PRI? SIX FAMO GAY SONS OF RSIA

INSI THE IRON CLOSET: WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY PUT'S RSIA

”Over the last two s, Rsian Print Vladimir Put has waged an all-out asslt on the LGBTQ muny, amg as part of a larger mpaign to protect Rsia’s “tradnal culture” om what he scrib as an onslght of morn valu promoted by the has lled genr fluidy “a crime agast humany, ” and equated homosexualy wh pedophilia. A “gay propaganda” law passed Rsia 2013 ma illegal to promote gay rights and has been ed to jail activists and shut down LGBTQ support groups.

And durg a seri of anti-gay purg Rsia’s Mlim-majory Chechen Republic, which officials kidnapped, tortured and some s killed men spected of havg sex wh other men, the Kreml turned a bld the same time, life for LGBTQ people Ukrae has slowly been, wh tens of thoands of Rsian troops encirclg major Ukraian ci, gay, lbian and transgenr people are worried about what a Rsian takeover might mean for them. As Put has ma gay people the boogeymen for all of Rsia’s ills, Reid said, he has also fueled “a monstrable crease discrimatn and vlence. Yura Dvizhon, a director who helps n Ukrae’s annual gay pri celebratn.

MAJORY OF RSIANS BELIEVE GAYS NSPIRG TO STROY UNTRY'S VALU, POLL FDS

(Courty Yura Dvizhon) “If we were unr Rsian le, we’d have to shut our mouths, we wouldn’t be able to drs how we want, we would never have gay pri, ” said Yura Dvizhon, 29, a well-known Ukraian director. (Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Imag) Ukrae was never a utopia for gays and transgenr people, Dvizhon marriage is illegal Ukrae, LGBTQ people are not protected by anti-discrimatn laws, and the fluential Christian Orthodox Church views homosexualy as a s. Last year’s annual gay pri para Kyiv drew 7, 000 people — a victory, even if police were lled to fend off anti-gay protters.

'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY

Opn polls show Ukraians have bee more acceptg of gay rights over the last .

GAY MAN RSIA FORCED TO HIDG OVER YOUTUBE TERVIEW

In 2019, Print Volodymyr Zelensky snapped back at a homophobic heckler who had terpted his speech. ”While there are still ncrete laws — an anti-discrimatn bill foremost among them — that the natn’s LGBTQ muny is wag for, everybody knows that the suatn for gay people Rsia is “much, much, much worse, ” said Natsya Kosach, a lbian DJ Kyiv.

‘THEY STARVE YOU. THEY SHOCK YOU’: INSI THE ANTI-GAY POGROM CHECHNYA

“I know gay guys who are the Terrorial Defense [Ukrae’s ary rerve force] and nobody is sayg anythg to them.

1 5 RSIANS WANT GAYS AND LBIANS 'ELIMATED,' SURVEY FDS

“This is a homophobic, transphobic place, ” she said.

The regn has bee more homophobic sce then, she said.

She believ anti-gay and trans discrimatn has s roots the Orthodox Church but also the Soviet Unn, which broke up Soviet society, nformy was prized. Ten years ago, a bill was passed banng so-lled "gay propaganda" relatn to children. Human rights groups say that was followed by a rise vlent homophobic attacks Rsia.

PUT’S PRI? SIX FAMO GAY SONS OF RSIA

But the fear generated by the legislatn is already leadg to censorship: onle cemas have leted LGBT-themed films and TV seri and eded out gay scen.