Russia’s New Low: You may have cast a shadow, but you’ll never dim our light
All of us at IGLYO are deeply disturbed by the November 30th 2023 decision by the Russian Supreme Court, outlawing the international movement for LGBTQI+ liberation.
This decision, which criminalises the work of organisations like IGLYO in Russia, puts LGBTQI people at further risk within the Russian Federation, and sets a dangerous new precedent for the harassment and intimidation of the international LGBTQI+ community and queer Russians everywhere.
Our movement is one that believes fundamentally in the right of all people to determine who they are themselves. We believe that listening to individuals and communities, meeting their needs and showing understanding, leads to a happier, healthier, and safer population. Leading to a more united and more prosperous society for all.
Banning our movement will not erase LGBTQI+ Russians, it will only isolate them and put them at greater risk of serious harm. And while this law will impact LGBTQI people of all ages in Russia, we are particularly concerned about young people, who we know face higher levels of hate crimes and hate speech.
Young LGBTQI people facing familial rejection are more likely to experience homelessness, job insecurity, and poverty. This ruling will only bolster anti-LGBTQI attitudes, leading to increasingly hostile environments for vulnerable young LGBTQI people.
We stand in solidarity with our queer siblings in Russia at this dark time. We will continue to support them in the ways we now can in their struggle for liberation. This decision will not end our movement in the Russian Federation. Activists will continue their essential work on the ground. It will only drive their work into the shadows. We won’t forget those of us in Russia or look away from them in this moment of great need.
We urge European institutions, and policy makers within the European region and beyond to take note of this dangerous precedent and work to protect our communities from similar archaic decisions, wherever they may arise.
