The fight against homophobia in Russia is not new. In fact it is a tradition. Under the government of Lenin Homosexuality was considered a "burgeoise disease" and it was completely illegal, years before of other countries in Europe. With Lenin´s emancipation, in Stalin´s era, the law continued. Actually,it continued until Yeltsin´s era in the 90th when he at least make it legal to be homosexual.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)people's rights in Russia face legal and social challenges as well as discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT people. Although same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private was decriminalized in 1993, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. The age of conset has been the same for same-sex relations as for heterosexual relations since 2003, and homosexuality was declassified as a mental ilness in 1999. Transsexuals have been able to change their legal gender since 1997.
In 2013, Russia received criticism from around the world for enacting a law that bans the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors, which effectively makes it illegal to suggest that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships or to distribute material on gay rights.Leaders of foreign governments have condemned the law, as have 27 Noble prizes winners from the fields of science and the arts.
Since the passage of the anti-gay propaganda law, the media has reported the arrest of a gay rights activities as well as a surging incidence of hate crimes motivated by homophobia, including hate crimes perpetrated by neo-Nazi groups against gay minors. A law prohibiting gay pride parades in Moscow for one-hundred years has also recently been enacted.International rights groups have described the current situation as the worst human rights climate in the post-Soviet era, while Russian human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyena has called passage of the law against gay propaganda "a step toward the Middle age. Due to the timing of the law coming within a year of the 2014 winter Olympic´s game in Sochi there has been ongoing Olympic protests of Russian anti-gay laws.
Russia has been described as being socially conservative on issues of LGBT rights, with recent polls indicating that a large majority of Russian citizens oppose the legal recognition of same sex marriage and support the controversial laws enacted regarding Russia's LGBT citizens.Larger cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg have been described as being more tolerant and accepting, and have been known to have thriving LGBT community.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)people's rights in Russia face legal and social challenges as well as discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT people. Although same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private was decriminalized in 1993, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. The age of conset has been the same for same-sex relations as for heterosexual relations since 2003, and homosexuality was declassified as a mental ilness in 1999. Transsexuals have been able to change their legal gender since 1997.
In 2013, Russia received criticism from around the world for enacting a law that bans the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors, which effectively makes it illegal to suggest that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships or to distribute material on gay rights.Leaders of foreign governments have condemned the law, as have 27 Noble prizes winners from the fields of science and the arts.
Since the passage of the anti-gay propaganda law, the media has reported the arrest of a gay rights activities as well as a surging incidence of hate crimes motivated by homophobia, including hate crimes perpetrated by neo-Nazi groups against gay minors. A law prohibiting gay pride parades in Moscow for one-hundred years has also recently been enacted.International rights groups have described the current situation as the worst human rights climate in the post-Soviet era, while Russian human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyena has called passage of the law against gay propaganda "a step toward the Middle age. Due to the timing of the law coming within a year of the 2014 winter Olympic´s game in Sochi there has been ongoing Olympic protests of Russian anti-gay laws.
Russia has been described as being socially conservative on issues of LGBT rights, with recent polls indicating that a large majority of Russian citizens oppose the legal recognition of same sex marriage and support the controversial laws enacted regarding Russia's LGBT citizens.Larger cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg have been described as being more tolerant and accepting, and have been known to have thriving LGBT community.