Putin designates 'LGBT movement' as extremist and terrorist organisations

The Russian government has designated what it calls the "LGBT movement" as terrorist and extremist organisations following a ruling by the country's Supreme Court last November.

The move aligned with President Vladimir Putin's drive towards what he portrays as family values that contrast with decadent Western attitudes.

According to the court ruling, anyone found advocating for LGBT rights on Russian soil would be designated as an extremist.

In response, however, representatives of gay and transgender people expressed fears that the development would pave the way for arrests and prosecutions.

Per Reuters, state media reported on Friday, March 22, 2024, that the government added the LGBT movement to a list of terrorist and extremist organisations.

Russian agency Rosfinmonitoring, which maintains the list, is also vested with powers to freeze the bank accounts of the more than 14,000 people and entities designated as extremists and terrorists.

Offenders range from Al Qaeda to U.S. tech giant Meta and associates of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The new listing refers to the "international LGBT social movement and its structural units", Reuters quoted RIA as saying.

Over the past decade, Russia has continued to tighten restrictions on expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity as part of Putin's shift to maintain conventional family values.

The Eastern European country, among other measures, passed laws prohibiting the promotion of "non-traditional" sexual relations and banned legal or medical changes of gender.