Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda

Synopsis:

As most of the world moves forward toward gay equality, Russia is seemingly heading backward. Antigay sentiment and legislation are spreading rapidly throughout the country. In 2013, the Russian parliament passed a ban on so-called ‘gay propaganda’ that effectively makes nearly any public discussion of gay equality a crime. It is my hope that this documentary will educate viewers to their reality.

Quick Thoughts:

Even though “Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda” is predominantly in Russian, which requires most of us to read the subtitles, it is quite a captivating queer news film & documentary! Centring on a core group of interviewees, they talk about everything relevant to being homosexual and living in Russia. Little is off the table and there is a wide range of folks speaking on various topics such as coming out, how most have been gay bashed or attacked at some point in their lives, to the extra concerns of same-sex adoption, and even a few who have left & claimed asylum abroad. Woven together by the co-writer and interviewer Michael Lucas, this is quite an emotional film to watch!

However what both stunned and angered me was that one of the politicians who helped push the Gay Propaganda law into effect agreed to be interviewed and try to espouse the anti-LGBT rhetoric. However, it’s important to know where they are coming from – even though it’s disgusting to listen to. The film was released in 2014, mainly in response to the 2013 “Gay Propaganda” bill that used minors as the means to create a second class of citizens for LGBTQ folk. I actually visited Russia in 2017, and it was tense even being an out tourist; I downplayed being gay a LOT. Unfortunately, things have worsened. The initial 2013 bill was expanded in 2022 and now includes a ban on ANY mention of LGBTQ-relevant topics in public and in the media. As such, “Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda” is an important queer news film and documentary to watch.