Artem Savinovsky, the CEO of the Russian Internet and technology company Yandex, has been charged with violating Russia’s stringent new “LGBT propaganda” law.
The news was announced on the court’s website earlier today, according to Reuters.
The move comes the day after Yandex’s online film database subsidiary Kinopoisk was fined 1 million rubles ($11,050) for what was described by a company representative as an “incorrect labeling of LGBT films.” The movies in question reportedly included Briget Jones’ Diary and the black comedy Greed.
Last month the company was also fined 2 million rubles for refusing to share user information with Russian security services.
The new anti-LGBTQ+ law in question expanded a 2013 ban against spreading “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to minors to also include adults. The new law took effect December 5, 2022, and makes it illegal to promote or “praise” LGBTQ+ relationships or suggest that they are “normal.” The new law also bans all advertising, media, and online resource books, films, and theater productions that affirm the LGBTQ+ community or individuals.
Under the new law, individuals can be fined up to 400,000 rubles for “LGBT propaganda” and up to 200,000 rubles for “demonstrations of LGBT and information that encourages a change of gender among teenagers.”
In January, the Russian language news outlet Vedomosti reported the Roskomnadzor (RKN), the government committee regulating compliance with Russia’s new anti-LGBTQ+ laws, issued criteria for banning content that affirms “nontraditional” sexual relations, relationships, LGBTQ+ people, or the LGBTQ+ community..
An earlier list of proposed banned content provided by the RKN included films Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Call Me By Your Name (2017), and episodes from TV shows The Sex Lives of College Girls and This Is Going to Hurt.
While it is unclear what specific charges Savinovsky faces, he is reportedly facing administrative rather than criminal charges.
What losing the USSR does to a motherfucker. How the mighty have fallen
Hate to break it to you but the USSR was never better with this stuff
It was during the early days, then a bunch of stuff got recriminalised later on, can't remember the exact years
also as a socialist country there was always a trend towards more progressivity thanks to the slowly growing quality of life.
well that shit got fucked thanks to the 90s
That suuuuuucks. At least East Germany was cool, right? RIGHT?!
Yea it was pretty good. You should read up on the history yourself though, don't just take a random internet stranger's word on it
I have no good recommendations though. Everything I've read is poisoned by Western propaganda where they begrudgingly admit they were far ahead on gay laws but kept griping about communist dictatorships and "akschually because gay East Germans were waving less flags around and didn't dress as flamboyantly or "act gay" publicly as much as West Germans, this was proof that gays were more oppressed in the East"
I have to admit that my history is embarrassingly shit lmao
I think about how if the socialist bloc had survived then the policies the GDR had towards queer people may have promulgated throughout the rest of the socialist bloc eventually all the time.
It would have only gotten better like China, Cuba or Vietnam
Honestly didn't know Russia had laws like this, that's uh pretty bad. Like real bad, DeSantis level stuff.
Unfortunately Russia is basically held together by reactionary ideology. There's a bit of soviet larping, there's the orthodox identitarianism, but a country ruled by US reactionaries wouldn't be far away from what Russia is today. Twice as unfortunate is that since Russia was besieged by NATO, the sort of people online who give them a fair coverage are mostly anti 'globalist' buffoons. Following the war is a mine field of NAFOs fighting reactionary morons online.
The adage where the schism in the US elites is wether to destroy Russia or ally with Based Putin to destroy China holds true.
What I hate about it are the westerners who try to use Russias reactionary bullshit as a way to say "See? The commies are homophobes!"
Until five minutes ago the liberal parties of the United States were saying that hell yeah marriage is between a man and a woman. Now they get to browbeat their enemies with rainbow imperialism. No credit where its due, however, should Cuba and Vietnam democratically vote to blow out the West when it comes to LGBT rights. Criticism is a one way street towards the poors and the browns.
I mean I am gay and part of a religious minority. I have a great deal of disdain for the potemkin reactionary shopping cart of ideologies which keeps Russia going, and for the hindu fascism of modern India as well. And so many others. But I still hope to see these two countries and many others improve, on their own terms, because I care for them, I fear for their future, and I want them to be my fellow travellers in a multipolar world. I'm also not insane to think that my own country gets to lecture everyone else.
I tend to project my own existential dread for the future of South America under Climate Change towards South Asia in particular. I look at the populations of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. How vulnerable they are. And it's enough to despair.
Briget Jones’ Diary
Isn't that a movie about a heterosexual love triangle, heavily based on Pride & Prejudice? The fuck is gay about it?
Isn't that a movie about a heterosexual love triangle, heavily based on Pride & Prejudice? The fuck is gay about it?
James Callis' character is a gay man. He plays one of Bridget's best friends in the 2 movies. EDIT: I've only seen the 1st 2 movies. I forgot there was a 3rd.
Spoiler alert!
Also, if I recall, in the second movie, Jacinda Barrett's character is in love with Bridget but Bridget thinks she is trying to take away her love interest, Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth.
Yes, I'm a cishet black IT guy who has watched the Bridget Jones movies unforced. I thought they were kinda funny.
“nontraditional” sexual relations, relationships, LGBTQ+ people, or the LGBTQ+ community
Maybe that falls under the first two
Modern Russian soap operas must be boring
Is there really any reason I shouldn’t take this stuff incredibly personally and loathe them all on a personal level for this shit?
I honestly hate most of the world’s civilizations for either having ever walled us out or actively walling us out. Bunch of fucking assholes. I want some payback.
No point in carrying the hatred. Only concrete actions actually matter, whether it be building communities or rioting, that’s the only way to be heard.
Stonewall was a riot
They always start by saying it’s to protect children. It’s just their foot in the door. It always ends up being a society wide ban.
Only idiots can’t see that part coming.
