Russian LGBTQ+ activists describe a climate of fear following new laws and court rulings

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The LGBTQ+ community in Russia has been under pressure for a decade, but the situation has worsened in the past year. That’s because the country’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed any LGBTQ+ activism, exposing those involved with that community to criminal prosecution. Public representations of gay and transgender people are banned, as is gender-affirming medical care, as well as changing one’s gender in documents. President Vladimir Putin says the war in Ukraine is a proxy battle with the West, which he says wants to destroy Russia and its “traditional family values” by promoting LGBTQ+ rights. While many from the LGBTQ+ community have left the country, those who stayed find themselves facing an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.