Although homophobia exists in nearly all societies, Russia has recently gained notoriety for its intolerance of homosexual behavior. In a world that is becoming more and more accepting and tolerant of homosexuality, Russia seems to be moving backward when it comes to LGBTQ rights, existing in a tightly conservative macrosystem. Many Russian’s hold a constructionist view of homosexuality, meaning outside forces are responsible for influencing “untraditional” behaviors, rather than the contemporary essentialist view, meaning homosexuality is an inborn trait (Welch, 146). Understandably, Russia’s tumultuous political past must be a strong contributor to today’s attitudes towards homosexuality and other sexual orientations. Under the Tsars, homosexuality was a crime punishable by imprisonment or death, after Lenin came to power after the October Revolution, homosexuality was decriminalized and homosexuals were allowed to hold office in the newly formed Soviet Union. However, as anti-gay laws were enacted by Stalin, homosexuals were seen as a “danger to the state” and sent to prisons and forgot about. After the glasnost, Yeltsin under pressure from the Council of Europe, legalized homosexuality in 1993. But under Putin, homosexuals have been under fire due to a series of anti-gay propaganda laws and an increasingly homophobic Russia society; this is due to the increase of influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, the effect the media has on the populace as controlled by the hegemony, and the use of homosexuality as a scapegoat of Russia’s problems.
Although the use of religion as a weapon against LGBTQ people is not uncommon, it is one of the primary reasons for the current hostile attitudes towards homosexuals. During the Communist ...
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...a, and also the influence of the populace by the hegemony against a common enemy are keeping homophobic feelings very much alive. By making the world aware of this problem, the LGBTQ community of Russia is already making progress by fighting oppression.
Works Cited
“Russia in the 21st Century: A Culture War Caused by Traditional Revanchism.”(2011) by Valery Sozayev, published in The Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the Russian Federation (2012).
“The Russian Orthodox Church’s Role in Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws” (2013) by Jamie Manson, published by National Catholic Reporter.
“Russian anti-gay law prompts rise in homophobic violence” (2013) by Alec Luhn, published by The Guardian UK.
“Homophobia Spreads in Russian Media” (2014) by Stephen Ennis, published by BBC News World Europe.
“From Russia, Without Love” (2013) by Sheila Kennedy
Life for most homosexuals during the first half of the Twentieth century was one of hiding, being ever so careful to not give away their true feelings and predilections. Although the 1920s saw a brief moment of openness in American society, that was quickly destroyed with the progress of the Cold War, and by default, that of McCarthyism. The homosexuals of the 50s “felt the heavy weight of medical prejudice, police harassment and church condemnation … [and] were not able to challenge these authorities.” They were constantly battered, both physically and emotionally, by the society that surrounded them. The very mention or rumor of one’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their lives. Geanne Harwood, interviewed on an National Public Radio Broadcast commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, said that “being gay before Stonewall was a very difficult proposition … we felt that in order to survive we had to try to look and act as rugged and as manly as possibly to get by in a society that was really very much against us.” The age of communist threats, and of Joseph McCarthy’s insistence that homosexuals were treacherous, gave credence to the feeling of most society members that homosexuality was a perversion, and that one inflicted was one to not be trusted.
Historically, Russia has always been a country of perplexing dualities. The reality of Dual Russia, the separation of the official culture from that of the common people, persisted after the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War. The Czarist Russia was at once modernized and backward: St. Petersburg and Moscow stood as the highly developed industrial centers of the country and two of the capitals of Europe, yet the overwhelming majority of the population were subsistent farms who lived on mir; French was the official language and the elites were highly literate, yet 82% of the populati...
Simon, Rachel. "Harvey Fierstein on Russia's Anti-gay Laws: 'You Cannot Just Ignore Evil'" Msnbc.com. NBC News Digital, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.
Homophobia does affect out society’s norms that then impacts women and men lives in our society. In
Gay rights has always been a controversial issue in Russia. Russia has anti-gay laws that cause big conflict in the country. Some of the laws that were passed include the gay propaganda law which is against exposing children to any gay media. Another big law which is on its way to being passed is they law against gay people adopting children. Because of this big issue going on, Fareed Zakaria a CNN news reporter investigates the situation. Zakaria interviews Valery Gergiev, an artistic and general director of Mariinsky Theatre. Zakaria makes sure to get Gergiev's point of view on the situation. By asking for Gergiev’s opinion, he is hoping it will gain the people of Russia’s attention. Gergiev states “I myself question very much why the country needed something like this law” which shows that he believes the new law is unnecessary. Gregiev also says. “ I myself hate any form of discrimination. I would never allow any sort of discrimination to take place”. By Zakaria asking this, he is trying to persuade the audience that discrimination will rise from this new law and gay people will no longer be treated equally.
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
Tatchell, Peter (1992). Europe in the Pink: Lesbian and Gay Equality in the New Europe. London: GMP.
the beginning the text has an exciting tone since the authors describe the overwhelming emotions of individuals as well as the celebrations that took place after the law allowing same sex marriage was approved. By starting the article in this manner the writers are trying to provoke feelings of excitement from their readers in order to make them think that this event is a positive aspect of our society. Also, by mentioning the gay movement’s multiple efforts over the past “forty-two years to ensure the marital as well as civil rights of homosexuals” (Virtanen, Hill, and Zraick 1), the writers motivate their audience to be sympathetic towards these individuals. Moreover, the authors try to make people become more suppo...
Homosexuality is a sensitive topic and often avoided in conversation. For centuries the human race has oppressed and persecuted others strictly because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual etc. Although disturbing to most of us, these actions still occur in our society today, as many believe that homosexuality is abnormal and disgraceful. One supporter of this belief is Michael Levin, who strongly believes that homosexuality is highly abnormal and thus, undesirable. Although his beliefs and theories supporting this claim are subjective, there is evidence that can support his stance on this topic; we will analyze this claim in further detail and how it relates to his other views mentioned in this essay.
It is widely known that homosexuality in the Arab world is one of the most tabooed subjects to talk about, not only because it is viewed as a form of “westoxication” , but also because it stands against one of the most important Arabic family values which is procreation. As a result, Arab countries, with no exclusion, have very prejudiced and severe laws and norms that condemn the acts of same-sex and punish those who commit these acts with imprisonment and sometimes even with death. Additionally, due the negative and dangerous perspective of the LGTBQ+ community in Arab countries, which suffers from sexual repression, they are more vulnerable to rape, sexual harassment, blackmail, and torture . The treatment of the LGBTQ+ community is arguably
Яблоков, Евгений. "Беспокойное Собачье Сердце, или Горькие Плоды Легкого Чтения." Review. Литературная Критика Oct. 2010: n. pag. http://magazines.russ.ru. Журнальный зал, Oct. 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
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In the text above, I have explained how religion is used to persecute LGBT persons, how personal views can differ from religious opinions, and how the LGBT community and a religious society could coexist. LGBT people have appeared in recorded history for ages, and long before the dawning of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the past, these societies had roles for LGBT persons that allowed acceptance, and in our global society where Abrahamic religions are widely influential, we can draw back on our ancient histories to create a environment where LGBT persons are accepted while continuing to have a religious and spiritual society.
There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exist all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of males regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it is different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much change has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed.
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the 1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.