- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Not legal
- Censorship
- ✖ Fine as punishment
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- Ambiguous
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Military
- ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Research in attittudes towards LGBTQ+ issues in Russia have identified a strong opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, reflecting underlying homophobic sentiments.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Russia Surveys
(Levada Center, 2020)
Orthodox Christian Support for Church's Position of Refusing to Perform Same-Sex Marriage
(Pew Research Center, 2017)
Support for Same-Sex Marriage
(The ILGA-RIWI, 2015)
(Associated Press, 2014)
(Levada Center, 2013)
(Associated Press, 2012)
History
Homosexual activity in Russia is legal.
Current status
Since 1993
Since 1993
Legal
Homosexuality became legal in Russia in 1993. Now at the moment homosexuality is legal except 1 region-Chechnya (in practice) but Chechnya is independent.
The new law, recognizing the extremism of the LGBT movement, limits any propaganda and expression of opinions. But homosexuality remains legal according to the government.
The new law, recognizing the extremism of the LGBT movement, limits any propaganda and expression of opinions. But homosexuality remains legal according to the government.
Until 1993
Varies by Region
Although legal in most of Russia, in Chechnya there is a de facto criminalization of homosexuality and attacks against homosexuals are constantly ignored by the police.
Same-sex marriage in Russia is not legal.
Current status
Since Dec 29, 1995
Since Dec 29, 1995
Not legal
The federal laws of Russia do not allow for same sex unions of any kind, and the Russian constitution defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Russia is fine as punishment.
Current status
Since Nov 30, 2023
Since Nov 30, 2023
Fine as punishment
“Russia's parliament approved on Thursday a bill that widens a prohibition of "LGBT propaganda" and restricts the "demonstration" of LGBT behaviour, making any expression of an LGBT lifestyle almost impossible.”
“Under the new law, which still needs the approval of the upper house of parliament and President Vladimir Putin, any action or information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality - whether in public, online, or in films, books or advertising - could incur a heavy fine.”
The new law recognizing the LGBT movement as extremism limits any propaganda and expression of opinions.
“Under the new law, which still needs the approval of the upper house of parliament and President Vladimir Putin, any action or information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality - whether in public, online, or in films, books or advertising - could incur a heavy fine.”
The new law recognizing the LGBT movement as extremism limits any propaganda and expression of opinions.
Fine as punishment
In 2013, Russia introduced a law known as "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values" (known worldwide as the "gay propaganda law") which prohibits the promotion of homosexual topics. According to the Russian government, this law is aimed to "protect" children from being exposed to homosexuality, since it goes against "traditional family values." Foreigners who break this law can be arrested and detained for up to 15 days (or fined up to 5,000 rubles) and then deported.
Right to change legal gender in Russia is illegal.
Current status
Since Jul 19, 2023
Since Jul 19, 2023
Illegal
The upper house of Russia’s parliament unanimously approved a bill outlawing gender-affirming care and legal gender change. It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.
Ambiguous
A bill to make gender change illegal was proposed, and it will probably pass.
Legal, surgery not required
Under the 2018 revision by the Ministry of Health, a medical commision can issue a certificate of gender change without the need for surgery or hormone replacement therapy.
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.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Russia is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
There's no third gender recognition.
LGBT discrimination in Russia is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since 1993
Since 1993
Illegal in some contexts
Homosexuals can be protected from hate speech and/or discrimination in accordance with Articles 136 and 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation
LGBT employment discrimination in Russia is no protections.
Current status
No protections
Article 3 of the Labour Code prohibits employment discrimination but does not explicitly mention sexual
orientation or gender identity. Several prominent people including a TV news anchor have been fired for coming out, although some people have successfully challenged discriminatory dismissal.
orientation or gender identity. Several prominent people including a TV news anchor have been fired for coming out, although some people have successfully challenged discriminatory dismissal.
LGBT housing discrimination in Russia is ambiguous.
Current status
Since Jul 29, 2013
Since Jul 29, 2013
Ambiguous
Discrimination against all social groups is prohibited, including LGBT people, although this is not directly mentioned, but refers to “all other social groups”
Same-sex adoption in Russia is single only.
Current status
Since Jul 24, 2023
Since Jul 24, 2023
Single only
Single homosexuals are allowed to adopt, but banned for transgender people.
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
Until Jul 2, 2013
Illegal
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Wednesday banning the adoption of children by same-sex couples, as part of an increasingly conservative agenda the Kremlin is pursuing since his return to power.
Serving openly in military in Russia is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2003
Since Jul 1, 2003
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Open homosexuals still serve in the military.
Conversion therapy in Russia is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Not condemned. As well their is still the attitude that homosexuality is a disease.
Equal age of consent in Russia is equal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1997
Since Jan 1, 1997
Equal
The age of consent in Russia is 16 for same-sex couples.
LGBT Rights by administrative region
View the LGBT laws in each individual administrative region of Russia.
- Amurskaya oblast'
- Arkhangel'skaya oblast'
- Astrakhanskaya oblast'
- Belgorodskaya oblast'
- Bryanskaya oblast'
- Chelyabinskaya oblast'
- Irkutskaya oblast'
- Ivanovskaya oblast'
- Kaliningradskaya oblast'
- Kaluzhskaya oblast'
- Kemerovskaya oblast'
- Kirovskaya oblast'
- Kostromskaya oblast'
- Kurganskaya oblast'
- Kurskaya oblast'
- Leningradskaya oblast'
- Lipetskaya oblast'
- Magadanskaya oblast'
- Moskovskaya oblast'
- Murmanskaya oblast'
- Nizhegorodskaya oblast'
- Novgorodskaya oblast'
- Novosibirskaya oblast'
- Omskaya oblast'
- Orenburgskaya oblast'
- Orlovskaya oblast'
- Penzenskaya oblast'
- Pskovskaya oblast'
- Rostovskaya oblast'
- Ryazanskaya oblast'
- Sakhalinskaya oblast'
- Samarskaya oblast'
- Saratovskaya oblast'
- Smolenskaya oblast'
- Sverdlovskaya oblast'
- Tambovskaya oblast'
- Tomskaya oblast'
- Tul'skaya oblast'
- Tverskaya oblast'
- Tyumenskaya oblast'
- Ul'yanovskaya oblast'
- Vladimirskaya oblast'
- Volgogradskaya oblast'
- Vologodskaya oblast'
- Voronezhskaya oblast'
- Yaroslavskaya oblast'
- Adygeya, Respublika (republic)
- Altay, Respublika (republic)
- Bashkortostan, Respublika (republic)
- Buryatiya, Respublika (republic)
- Chechenskaya Respublika (republic)
- Chuvashskaya Respublika (republic)
- Dagestan, Respublika (republic)
- Ingushskaya Respublika (republic)
- Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika (republic)
- Kalmykiya, Respublika (republic)
- Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika (republic)
- Kareliya, Respublika (republic)
- Khakasiya, Respublika (republic)
- Komi, Respublika (republic)
- Mariy El, Respublika (republic)
- Mordoviya, Respublika (republic)
- Sakha, Respublika (republic)
- Severnaya Osetiya, Respublika (republic)
- Tatarstan, Respublika (republic)
- Tyva, Respublika (republic)
- Udmurtskaya Respublika (republic)
- Altayskiy kray (administrative territory)
- Kamchatskaya oblast' (administrative territory)
- Khabarovskiy kray (administrative territory)
- Krasnodarskiy kray (administrative territory)
- Krasnoyarskiy kray (administrative territory)
- Perm (administrative territory)
- Primorskiy kray (administrative territory)
- Stavropol'skiy kray (administrative territory)
- Zabajkal'skij kraj (administrative territory)
- Chukotskiy avtonomnyy okrug (autonomous district)
- Khanty-Mansiyskiy avtonomnyy okrug [Yugra] (autonomous district)
- Nenetskiy avtonomnyy okrug (autonomous district)
- Yamalo-Nenetskiy avtonomnyy okrug (autonomous district)
- Moskva (autonomous city)
- Sankt-Peterburg (autonomous city)
- Komi-Permyak ()
- Yevreyskaya avtonomnaya oblast' (autonomous region)
Equality Rank
#8
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
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Alternative names: Rossija (local name)
