Putin’s Police break into an LGBT party and arrest its organizers for promoting “non-traditional relationships”

On November 23, a group of police officers broke into a nightclub in Voronezh, called Zebra, to interrupt a private queer costume party, according to information from the Russian portal PostNews. Approximately 40 people participated in the event, including the metto artist drag Zaza Napoli. The same media reports that there is already a criminal case open against the organizers presenting charges of “extremism”, probably related to “LGTB+ propaganda”, a crime that can lead to up to ten years in prison. Attendees were questioned in what authorities called a “preventive talk,” and the club has been temporarily closed.

In early November, in a similar incident, law enforcement raided the queer club Black Clover in Kirov. three artists drag and the owner of the club were accused of organizing an “extremist community.” Official media defined the bar as a “propaganda promoter of non-traditional sexual relations” and a “hatemonger against those who do not tolerate gender diversity.” This case adds to a series of repressive measures that seek to silence and persecute any inclusive space for the LGTB+ community.

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Russian group Russian LGBT Network have extensively documented the increased repression against the LGBT+ community under the Kremlin regime. These actions include passing laws prohibiting the “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” and using accusations of “extremism” to justify arrests, raids, and closures of queer spaces. In particular, the Russian LGBT Network has highlighted that these police operations not only seek to close down clubs or events, but also intimidate people queer and reinforce a state narrative that dehumanizes this community.

The recent cases of Voronezh, Kirov and Chita are just a few examples of a broader campaign against LGBT+ people in Russia, which includes legal and social harassment. These incidents unfold in a climate of growing hostility, fueled by state laws and policies that promote hatred and discrimination. Despite this, human rights organizations continue to denounce these abuses and provide support to the victims of these persecutions.