Coming Out LGBTQ+ rights group was ruled “extremist” by a Russian court on Tuesday, in a decision that adds to intensifying pressure on LGBTQ+ activism in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, AP reported.
The designation came after a closed-door hearing at the St. Petersburg City Court, where the group was banned as “extremist,” AP said. The authorities did not disclose details of the legal case, which AP reported was brought by Russia’s Justice Ministry and classified as secret.
Coming Out, which AP said now operates from abroad, responded with an online statement saying it had prepared for the development and would continue supporting LGBTQ+ people in Russia and elsewhere while pursuing rights advocacy. The group said it had taken steps such as enhancing security and developing “sustainable work formats,” and it urged people not to give in to fear or feel alone.
The AP report said Coming Out is the first LGBTQ+ rights organization to be designated since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that effectively banned any LGBTQ activism. AP said similar legal actions have been filed against two other LGBTQ+ rights groups, with courts in St. Petersburg and the Samara region still expected to rule.
The AP account described a broader pattern of restrictions that has grown over more than a decade but accelerated particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. AP said Putin has argued that the war is a proxy battle with the West aimed at undermining Russia’s “traditional family values” through pressure for LGBTQ+ rights.
AP also reported that after the 2023 Supreme Court decision, any depiction of gay and transgender people in a positive or neutral light was prohibited, and that gender-affirming medical care and changing one’s gender in official documents were banned. In days following the Supreme Court ruling, AP said, police raids on gay bars, nightclubs and venues hosting drag shows rattled the community in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, and criminal cases followed.
Denis Oleinik, the executive director of Coming Out, told AP that the Russian authorities were seeking to make the LGBTQ+ community “as vulnerable, as lonely as possible.” He said the group has been operating entirely from abroad since the full-scale invasion, no longer holding support groups or offline activities in Russia but still providing psychological and legal support remotely and working with international organizations on advocacy and help for those fleeing the country.
Oleinik told AP that the ruling makes it unsafe for people to share Coming Out content publicly and for anyone inside Russia or traveling there to donate money to the group. He also said the “extremist” designation can discourage people from reaching out for help or working with other rights groups and media outlets, and that relatives of activists who speak openly in public could face risks.
The AP report added that Oleinik said help is still available and receiving Coming Out’s support is “also allowed.”