Russia's Authoritarian Conservatism and LGBT+ Rights

Abstract

Putin's Russia has developed into an increasingly authoritarian and conservative state. Anti-LGBT+ rhetoric has been adopted as part of Putin's narratives, challenging the hegemony of Western liberalism. LGBT+ rights are portrayed by the Kremlin as a Western liberal phenomenon that poses a threat to "traditional values." As part of its national security measures, Russia has devised a range of policies to limit LGBT+ rights. Consequently, LGBT+ Russians face challenging sociopolitical conditions where public visibility has become dangerous, accompanied as it is by censorship, discrimination, and even violence.