Russia’s biggest gay rights group was liquidated in last year’s crackdown but now they are back and determined to fight Putin’s homophobic diktats.
“We want to continue encouraging people to voice their discontent over this, to make it known that the queer community in Russia cannot be muzzled—and that the way the government perceives LGBT+ people and the way that the actual Russian society does are very different,” Gafurova said. “Many are asking us why the Russian government would pass such legislation now, when it’s grappling with enough issues as is.
Gafurova said that the organization wants to preserve its advocacy work and raise awareness about the harmful aspects of the “LGBT propaganda” legislation—that certainly qualifies as “propagandizing non-traditional relations.” Sphere Foundation was established in 2011 and soon grew to become Russia’s biggest LGBTQ organization. With its partner organizations and activists, it focused on helping the queer community in the North Caucasus, who came under attack from the repressive regime of Chechnya in particular. Sphere also led the campaign against the nationwide “2013 propaganda law,” which outlawed homosexuality being treated as normal or “promoted” to minors.
Gafurova told The Daily Beast that for the Russian government Sphere’s liquidation was almost like cutting off the dragon’s head as much of the support to the LGBT+ movement in Russia across the regions came from Sphere over many years.
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