Russian LGBTQ Group Shutters After Being Outlawed
The Washington Blade reports: A Russian LGBTQ advocacy group on Monday announced it will shut down after a court declared it an “extremist” organization. A St. Petersburg court in April in response to a Russian Justice Ministry lawsuit made the declaration against the Russian LGBT Network. “For many years, Russian LGBT Network brought together initiatives … The post Russian LGBTQ Group Shutters After Being Outlawed appeared first on Joe.My.God..
Mark
The Washington Blade reports:
A Russian LGBTQ advocacy group on Monday announced it will shut down after a court declared it an “extremist” organization. A St. Petersburg court in April in response to a Russian Justice Ministry lawsuit made the declaration against the Russian LGBT Network.
“For many years, Russian LGBT Network brought together initiatives and activists and supported queer people across the country,” said the advocacy group on its Facebook page. ” However, its ‘extremist’ status has made the previous public format of its work impossible: any connection to the organization may create additional risks for the people we seek to support and protect.”
The Kremlin over the last decade has faced global criticism over its crackdown on LGBTQ rights. The Russian Supreme Court in 2023 ruled the “international LGBT movement” is an extremist organization and banned it.
From the group’s Facebook page:
People have always been at the heart of Russian LGBT Network’s story. The people who reached out for help. The people who provided it. The people who stayed by our side in the most difficult moments. The people who built connections where the state systematically sought to isolate, intimidate, and render the LGBTQ community invisible.
We thank everyone who was part of this work. Everyone who trusted us. Everyone who supported us. Everyone who made possible what so often seemed impossible.
“Russian LGBT Network may close. But dignity, solidarity, and people’s right to be themselves cannot be destroyed. Take care of yourselves
”
From this moment on, Russian LGBT Network will no longer conduct any public activities: the organization is officially closing. All activities carried out by Russian LGBT Network activists are ending. No one represents the organization anymore. The organization’s social media accounts will be deleted soon.
There’s more at both links.
#Russia: The Russia LGBT Network has announced it is being forced to close after being designated an “extremist” organisation.
We condemn the continued attack on LGBTQ+ communities in Russia. The LGBT Network spent 20 years protecting people:
meduza.io/en/news/2026…— Index on Censorship (@indexoncensorship.org) August 18, 2026 at 6:35 AM
The post Russian LGBTQ Group Shutters After Being Outlawed appeared first on Joe.My.God..
