Russia declares LGBT as an 'extremist organization' with dire consequences
10:53 AM EST, December 3, 2023
Following the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation's decision on Thursday that the LGBT movement constitutes an "extremist organization," several gay clubs in Moscow were raided by police just a day later, according to the BBC.
Information about these actions by the Russian services was also reported on the Telegram service.
"During the party, the police walked into the club, turned off the music, and switched on the lights," said a witness. Recordings appearing on social media show police vehicles parked in front of one of these clubs.
Guests at clubs catering to the LGBT community were briefly detained and asked to show their identification. It was also reported that the police took photos of foreigners' passports. A representative from Russian services reported that officers were searching for drugs.
The Kremlin's persecution of the LGBT movement and an unusual verdict
On November 17, the Russian Ministry of Justice moved to outlaw the "international public LGBT movement" within the country. This development was reported by Meduza, after a four-hour, closed-door meeting on the issue.
According to Meduza, only representatives from the Ministry of Justice were present in the courtroom. Journalists were only allowed entry to announce the verdict.
The Supreme Court upheld the Ministry of Justice's application and ruled to ban the "international LGBT movement", categorizing it as an "extremist organization". However, it was not specified who this movement encompasses or how it is organized.
Russia has a long history of persecuting the LGBT community. A "gay propaganda" ban amongst minors was implemented in 2013. In 2022, a law was passed prohibiting the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and pedophilia" across various platforms including cinema, the internet, advertising, and public spaces.
