🇷🇺 LGBT Life in Russia - Bella Rapoport

Straight Friendly Global

In this episode, we're going to talk about one of the biggest countries in the world, and probably with one of the hugest communities there.

We all probably know that it is not really easy to be a part of the LGBTQ community in Russia these days. But we do not always know just how hard it is.

We are happy to host this episode on one of the most active women in the Russian LGBTQ community: Bella Rapaport, who is a feminist, activist, and academic.

Russia has more than 150 million people which means that statistically, the LGBTQ community is several million. Is the community in Russia united? Is it divided into sub-communities? Is it like in other countries, where life in big cities like Moscow is so different from life in the rest of the country? Is there communication between the different communities?

Bella answers questions that show how, in the end, the life of the community in many countries and the community in Russia are not so different, except for current political affairs.

The production of this episode came to reality thanks to the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Jerusalem; and thanks to our volunteers: Alon Rosenblum, Ariel Skop and Anna Talisman.

Takeaways:

• Russia has a significant LGBT population, but the community is fragmented across its vast geography.
• The situation for LGBT individuals in Russia is complex, with some regions being more dangerous than others.
• Activism within the LGBT community in Russia often faces severe challenges and risks from authorities.
• Cultural and gender dynamics in Russia influence perceptions of LGBT identities, especially for women.
• Despite legal challenges, there are underground spaces in St. Petersburg where the LGBT community can gather.
• The language used in Russian media has evolved due to feminist activism, impacting societal perceptions of women.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Friedrich Naumann foundation