Gay culture in Russia

Although life in modern Russian allows many more liberties for gays and lesbians, unofficial discrimination and fear are still rampant. "It would be foolish to interpret some new freedoms as tolerance," said Igor Kon, a sociologist who is Russia's best-known expert on sexual practices, and author of "The Sexual Revolution in Russia". Gay life in Russian is less open than western countries [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFDF113AF93BA35754C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1] ] , while major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg now have LGBT clubs and venues; with more quickly growing acceptance. [ [http://gaylife.about.com/od/world/a/russian.htm] ]

In 1989, 31 percent of the Russian population said in polls that homosexuals should be executed, and 32 percent said they should be isolated. Only 12 percent said they should be left alone. While the figures are shifting, they still have along way to go: in 1994, 23 percent in a poll said homosexuals should be killed, 24 percent said they should be isolated, and 29 percent said they should be left alone. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFDF113AF93BA35754C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2] ]

"What everyone here knows -- gay or straight -- is how to have a private life that is different from their public life," said David Tuller, an American journalist and author of "Cracks in the Iron Closet: Travels in Gay and Lesbian Russia". "In the West we would call that living a lie," he said. "Here they don't think that way. This is not a talk-show culture. Nobody is ever going to appear on television to talk about wanting to sleep with short men or tall women. They just want to be able to have their lives and not be bothered. For people here that would be a big step." [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFDF113AF93BA35754C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3] ]

History of gay Russia

Medieval Russia was apparently very tolerant of homosexuality with foreign visitors to the country surprised by displays of affection between homosexuals. The first laws against homosexuals in Russia first appeared in the 18th centaury, under the reign of Peter the Great, but only in military statutes for soldiers.

In 1832 that the criminal code included Article 995, which stated that "muzhelozhstvo" or men lying with men a criminal act punishable by exile to Siberia for up to 5 years. Men lying with men was interpreted by courts as meaning anal sex. Application of the laws was rare, and the turn of the centaury found a relaxation of these laws and a general growing of tolerance and visibility.

Under Stalin The Soviet Union recriminalized homosexuality in a decree signed in late 1933. The new Article 121, which punished muzhelozhstvo with imprisonment for up to 5 years saw raids and arrests.

Article 121 was often used commonly used to extend prison sentences and to control dissidents. Among those imprisoned were the film director Sergei Paradjanov and the poet Gennady Trifonov.

Under Mikhail Gorbachev's administration the first gay organization came into being. The Moscow Gay & Lesbian Alliance was headed by Yevgeniya Debryanskaya, and Roman Kalinin who became the editor of the first officially registered gay newspaper, Tema.

The fall of the USSR accelerated the progress of the gay movement in Russia. Gay publications and plays appeared. In 1993 a new Russian Criminal Code was signed, without Article 121. Men who had been imprisoned began to be released.

Modern gay life in Russia is in the process of normalization. The first gay oriented businessesappeared including bars, discos, saunas, even a travel agency. Life for gays and lesbians in the provinces remains difficult, but there are gay communities and open gay culture in large cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev. [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/RGC2.html]

At a press conference on February 1, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked for his opinion on homosexuality in the midst of a row over the decision by Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov to ban a gay rights parade in Moscow. Putin said: "With regards to what the heads of regions say, I normally try not to comment. I don’t think it is my business.

My relation to gay parades and sexual minorities in general is simple – it is connected with my official duties and the fact that one of the country’s main problems is demographic. (Applause.) But I respect and will continue to respect personal freedom in all its forms, in all its manifestations." [http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2007/02/01/1309_type82915type82917_117600.shtml] [http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18352281&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=569346&rfi=6]

Famous gay Russians

There are many well known historical figures that have been believed to be gay or have sexual relations with members of the opposite sex including Prince Boris of Boris and Gleb, and Vasili III of Russia. [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/ROL.html]

Documentaries

Several documentaries about gay life in Russia surfaced in the 90's after the fall of the USSR including "Kiev Blue", "To My Women Friends", and "Moscow Fags". [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/RUfilms.html]

"Moscow Gay Pride '06", is a documentary about the first Moscow International LGBT Pride Festival. The premiere was held between May 25-27, just six months after the festival. Some focuses of the documentary include the Nordic festival, the Russian gay cultural contest, Merlin Holland’s lecture on his grandfather Oscar Wilde and the IDAHO Conference (International Day Against Homophobia). "Moscow Gay Pride '06" also focuses on the trouble around The Kremlin and Moscow city Hall when participants gathered to protest the ban on the Pride march – and the Tverskoy Court decision to uphold Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's decision to ban the march. Vlad Ortanov, former editor of Argo, one of the oldest gay magazines in Russia, described the documentary as “a great human historical document that will say a lot to the future generations”. [http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/2006nov/2702.htm]

Russian gay journals

Gay newspapers

Tema (M) ed. Roman Kalinin (& Vitaly Lazarenko) 1990-93, 13 issues

1/10 (M) ed. Dmitry Lychev, 1991-present(also No. 1 / 94: 1/10 International in Englishand SOHO Revue 8 /94 Russian insert in Czech gay magazine)

Kristofer (SPb) ed. G. Vetskoi & Sergei Shcherbakov, 1992

Impul's (M) ed. Grigorii Vetskoi, Nikolai Sivolobov, 1992

Risk (M) ed. Vlad Ortanov & Dima Kuzmin, 1990-1993, 5-6 issues [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/RUjournals.html]

Gay magazines

Ty (M) ed. Gennady Krimenskoi, 2 issues: 1992, 1993

Argo (M) ed. Vlad Ortanov & Konstantin Evgen'ev 1994-present, 3 issues, 4th coming soon (1996) [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/RUjournals.html]

Journals of gay literature and culture

Gay, Slaviane! (SPb) ed. Olga Zhuk, Sergei Shcherbakov, Gennady Trifonov2 issues: 1993, 1994

Risk (M) ed. Dmitry Kuzmin (Egor Gorodetskii, Yaroslav Mogutin)2 issues: 1995, 1996 [http://community.middlebury.edu/~moss/RUjournals.html]

Notes