LGBT Rights in Russia

Homosexuality
⚢
✔ Legal
Marriage
⚭
✖ Not legal
Changing Gender
✔ Legal, but requires surgery
Adoption
✖ Single only
Discrimination
✖ No protections
Housing Discrimination
✖ No protections
Employment Discrimination
Ambiguous
Military
✔ Legal
Age of Consent
✔ Equal
Donating Blood
✔ Legal
Conversion Therapy
✖ Not banned

Public Opinion

By The Numbers

51^%

of Russians would not want a homosexual neighbor

(Associated Press, 2014)

16^%

of Russians believe homosexuals should be isolated from society

5^%

believe homosexuals should be physically destroyed

(Levada Center, 2013)

38^%

of Russians would not want a homosexual neighbor

(Associated Press, 2012)

History

Homosexual activity in Russia

Current status
(since 1993)

Legal

Homosexual activity is legal in Russia, however, "anti-gay sentiments remain high."

On June 29, 2013, Russia was criticized internationally after a law passed that banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations."

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 1993–Sep 7, 2018

Legal

homosexual activity is legal in Russia but intense homophobia.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Russia

Current status
(since Dec 29, 1995)

Not legal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Dec 19, 1995–Sep 7, 2018

Varies by Region

Only two countries in Asia have a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Russia is not one of them. First symbolic Gay marriage couple had to flee Russia because the government put a bounty on them. Foreign Same Sex reconition reconized under EU law.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Russia

Current status
(since Nov 15, 1997)

Legal, but requires surgery

Transgender people are able to change their gender on identification documents after being issued a document from a health institution confirming the surgical requirements.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Nov 15, 1997–Sep 18, 2018

Legal, surgery not required

Missing non binary options on documents. Under the 2018 revision of the sex change law in Russia.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Russia

Current status
(since Dec 29, 1995)

Single only

Adoption is being regulated by the Civil Procedure Code of Russia (Chapter 29); Family Code of Russia (Chapter 19); Federal Law On Acts of Civil Status (Chapter V). None of these documents contain any direct restriction or ban for homosexual people to ado

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Dec 29, 1995–Sep 18, 2018

Single only

Since 2013. No laws in place for same sex couples.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in Russia

Current status
(since Jul 29, 2013)

No protections

Signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, the law on “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors” criminalizes public expression of support for nontraditional relationships.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jul 29, 2013–Sep 10, 2018

Illegal in some contexts

According to ILGA. Full discrimination protections in sea of azov. As well one person got charged for refusing to hire a gay person.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Russia

Current status
(since Jul 29, 2013)

No protections

LGBT people can be fired. As well not legally able to put on pride parades. Also intense violence.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Russia

Current status

Ambiguous

In one area a person was charged for refusing to hire a gay person.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Homosexuals serving openly in military in Russia

Current status
(since Jul 1, 2003)

Legal

Major-General of Medical Service Valery Kulikov stated that "the new statute about military and medical expertise from July 1, 2003 does not forbid people of non-standard sexual orientation from serving in the military." Also, in February of 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated in an interview that gays are not banned from serving in the Russian armed forces.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in Russia

Current status
(since Jan 1, 1997)

Equal

The age of consent in Russia is 16 for both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in Russia

Current status
(since Apr 16, 2008)

Legal

In 2008, Russia repealed its ban against gay people donating blood. The law was signed in effect on April 16, 2008 by Tatyana Golikova, the minister of Russia's Health and Social Development department.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 14, 2001–Apr 16, 2008

Banned (indefinite deferral)

On September 14, 2001, the Russian Ministry of Health announced that men who have sex with men would be considered part of the "HIV high-risk groups," along with prostitutes and drug addicts.

Details · Accurate? Yes No