Russian LGBTQ activist fined for violating ‘gay propaganda law’

LGBTQ activist and artist Yulia Tsvetkova has been fined 75,000 rubles (approximately $1,437) for “promoting non-traditional sexual relationships among minors” — a violation of Russia’s so-called “gay propaganda” law. 

Law enforcement in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur filed the administrative protocol against Tsvetkova over a drawing supporting LGBTQ families, which included the words “A family is where there is love.”

[Tsvetkova] underscored that the protocol was drawn up just before her trial in a criminal case on the distribution of pornography, because of drawings [she posted] in the group “Vagina Monologues.” The activist believes a negative image of her will be created in court due to [this fine].

On July 7, Tsvetkova revealed that another administrative case had been opened against her for violating Russia’s “gay propaganda law.” Tsvetkova said that this case was also launched over a set of drawings in support of LGBTQ families that she posted on social media. She was also fined 50,000 rubles (approximately $728) for violating the “gay propaganda law” in December 2019.

Yulia Tsvetkova has faced pressure from the authorities due to her art and activism for over a year. In June, she was charged with the criminal distribution of pornography over the publication of drawings of vaginas in an art group called the “Vagina Monologues,” which she ran on VKontakte. Tsvetkova was under house arrest from the end of November 2019 until March 16, 2020. She was charged in June.