Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe (DAH) is in good contact with Russian activists. Dr Dirk Sander, the DAH's gay affairs officer, had the opportunity to talk to Russian gays about the current situation following Putin's homophobic legislation. The interview was conducted by Tim Schomann.
What impressions did you get?
The new legislation against - as it is called - homopropaganda and the media coverage have created a climate of marginalisation and fear among gays. In order to avoid repression, many gays try to avoid attracting attention and withdraw into their private lives. There are also critics of the law in the Duma. But even they do not show solidarity for fear of being denounced as gay and becoming victims of this madness.
How can something like this happen?
It's not just this misanthropic law that has been passed. There is also massive propaganda against homosexuals in the Russian state media. The media use clichéd images of topless men waving rainbow flags to ask whether the people want such a thing in Russia. Russian state television also broadcast the demonstrations against same-sex marriage in France, pointing out that there was also great opposition to homosexuals in other countries. A few weeks ago, a group of skins were portrayed travelling through Moscow in a bus and using their laptops to search for gay men on the relevant portals, who then invite them to meet with fake pictures. If young, inexperienced gays agree to such a date, they experience hell. The perpetrators film their horrific assaults and post them online. The criminals on the bus were allowed to claim on Russian television that they had set out to rid Russia of homosexuals. They do not have to fear prosecution. The growing protest against Russian legislation around the world is not being reported in the Russian media.
What is actually behind this new legislation? Gays were able to live relatively unchallenged for a long time.
I was told that one of the reasons for this was the falling birth rate in Russia. The reaction to this would be to valorise so-called traditional ways of life, i.e. father, mother and child, and to devalue so-called non-traditional ways of life. They are trying to suggest to the people that someone can be made gay, for example by displaying the rainbow flag. A year ago, I was still laughing about this, but I've thoroughly lost it. Apparently
d warning notices are now also displayed in apartment blocks: Attention citizens: Homosexuals live in your house. Please take care of your children and report any observations of homosexual propaganda to the property manager or the local authorities. The regime seems to be keen to create a public enemy No. 1. This distracts from the real problems of this country and creates a progrom atmosphere. That is frightening. I wouldn't have thought that something like this would be possible again.
What does this propaganda mean for HIV prevention?
The few projects are openly harassed with searches, summonses and strict conditions. Some of the testing and counselling services were shut down with the argument that they were "Western agents" because they were financed with funds from abroad. As far as I know, the projects have been visited by far fewer gays recently, simply for fear of being seen at the entrance or exit and having their homosexuality publicised. They are afraid of becoming victims of persecution. And these fears are well-founded. Positive test results, on the other hand, have increased many times over.
We are expecting a demonstration against homophobia in Berlin on Saturday. Couldn't the pictures taken there then also be misused against gays in Russia?
That is actually very likely. Nevertheless, this demonstration must take place! It should essentially be aimed at our politicians and be linked to the call to outlaw the conditions in Russia and to prevent them by all means! German politicians must not stand silently by and watch such blatant human rights violations.
