One year ago the street artist Gurdish Haugsda painted a picture of a naked woman live on stage in support of the East Russian artist, sceneographer and activist Yulia Tsvetkova. Yulia is the activist behind the web page “The Vagina Monologues” and a series of illustrations of female bodies. Both projects were meant to spread knowledge about body and sexuality to the young. Two years ago she published drawings of a same-sex couples with children in support of a lesbian couple who fled Russia in fear of loosing custody of their children.

Through their anti-gay propaganda law, the law banning positive information of LGBTQ amongst minors, Russia is limiting and controlling the activity of individuals and organisations working for LHBTQ rights. Because of this, young people have lost access to important information about their own lives and bodies, and LHBTQ-persons experience an increase in hate crime and discrimination.

For the illustration of rainbow families, Yulia was charged for “spreading propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and fined 75 000 rubles. This is not the first time she has been punished because of her support of the LHBTQ community. Now she is facing up to six years in prison for the “production and spreading of pornography” and contaminating minds of children for spreading her illustrations on social media. 

Where is Yulia now, and what has happened since last year in regards to the rights of LHBTQ people and activists in Russia?

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