page_title: LGBT rights in Russia
section_title: International reactions and boycott
hierarchical_section_title: LGBT rights in Russia / Propaganda bans / National laws / International reactions and boycott
caption_attribution_description: English: In front of the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. In 7 September 2013 a group of activists painted the pedestrian crossing stripes with rainbow colors to protest the Russian anti-LGBT sentimentality and legislation, notably the bans on "homosexual propaganda". Suomi: Venäjän Suurlähetystön edessä, Helsingissä. 7. syyskuuta 2013 ryhmä aktivisteja maalasivat suojatien raidat sateenkaaren väreihin, mielenilmaisuna Venäjän poliittiselle ja lakisääteiselle HLBT-vastaisuudelle. Mielenilmaisun taustalla oli Venäjän "homopropagandan" kielto. Svenska: Framför Rysslands ambassad i Helsingfors, Finland. 7 september 2013 en grupp aktivister målade skyddsvägens ränder till en regnbåge som ett protest mot Rysslands anti-HBT lagstiftning.
context_page_description: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Russia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT persons. Although same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private was decriminalized in 1993, homosexuality is disapproved of by most Russians, and same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. There are currently no separate laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in Russia. Transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender following sex reassignment surgery, however, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression and recent laws could discriminate against transgender residents. Homosexuality has been declassified as a mental illness since 1999 and although gay and lesbian individuals are legally allowed to serve openly in the military, there is a de facto "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.
context_section_description: International human rights organisations and the governments of developed democracies around the world have strongly condemned this Russian law. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned this Russian statute and another similar one in Moldova (which was later repealed) as discriminatory and has made clear that the Russian statute in question is a violation of international human rights law, including the right of gay children to receive proper information. The European Parliament has condemned Russia for homophobic discrimination and censorship and the Council of Europe has called on Russia to protect LGBT rights properly. The European Court of Human Rights had previously fined Russia for other infringements of LGBT rights. In 2012 the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that a similar statute in the Russia's Ryazan Region was discriminatory, infringed on freedom of expression, and was inadmissible under international law—a Russian court in Ryazan later agreed and struck it down. Some members of the gay community commenced a boycott of Russian goods, particularly Russian vodka. Notable individuals have also responded to that ban.
  Many Western celebrities and activists are openly opposed to the law and have encouraged a boycott of Russian products—notably Russian vodka—as well as a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which were scheduled to be held in Sochi, unless the Games were relocated out of Russia. The boycott against Stolichnaya vodka was called off after the owners publicly explained they were not a Russian company after all, were supporters of the LGBT community, and were opposed to the anti-gay laws. Also a game to dress up Putin as a gay man was released during Sochi's Olympics to support the LGBT community and reached more than 500,000 players. Tying into the international spotlight of the February 2014 Olympic games, months of protests took place before the Games, with many campaigns targeted at the worldwide Olympic sponsors.
caption: Activists painted the pedestrian pavement in front of the Russian Embassy in Finland with rainbow colors to protest Russian's anti-LGBT sentimentality and legislation. Similar activism has been done in Sweden.
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