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The 14 years since the first International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia have witnessed a marked improvement for LGBT people in many states across Europe. More recently, however, some of these advances have been eroded or are at risk as a result of the rise of populism and nationalism in several states – most noticeably Poland and Russia. Please read the full article at the link below... https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-spotlight/archiv-2018/the-politi

On 15 June 2021 the Hungarian parliament passed a law banning the promotion of positive representations of homosexuality and gender reassignment to children – akin to Russia’s so-called ‘gay propaganda’ law of 2013. Despite Viktor Orbán’s claim that the law did not seek to discriminate against homosexuals but rather sought to protect children, the law prompted a swift reaction from the Hungarian opposition, human rights groups and members of the international community. Pleas

This LGBT+ History Month, Richard C.M. Mole , Professor of Political Sociology (UCL SSEES), researches identity, sexuality, and migration, particularly of queer individuals in Eastern Europe. In this piece, he looks at the experiences of queer Poles leaving their home towns and migrating to Warsaw or elsewhere in Europe, where they can more freely explore or express their sexuality. Please read the full article at the link below... https://ucleuropeblog.com/2021/02/26/they-ex

The Sochi Winter Olympics, which began on 7 February, have focused attention on Russia’s stance toward homosexuality and gay rights. As Richard Mole writes, the issue has been particularly prominent in the country since the passing of the law against ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations’ last year. He argues that the subject has become a key part of Vladimir Putin’s defence of traditional mores, and has been used to define Russian values against the liberal attitu

At the end of June, Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, signed into law a bill banning the spreading of ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations’. Richard Mole argues that the law is targeted at LGBT activists, who are some of the Kremlin’s most public and vocal critics, and plays on existing intolerance towards homosexuality which dates back to the Soviet era. By banning ‘homosexual propaganda’, legally protecting ‘religious feeling’ and reining in ‘foreign agents’, P

Anti-LGBT legislation in St Petersburg is having unforeseen consequences and mobilising Russia’s ‘gay diasporas’ overseas Last month the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia must pay damages for refusing to allow ‘pride parades’ to be held in Moscow. Richard Mole argues that Russian anti-LGBT legislation is having a counter-productive effect by mobilising activists both within the country and beyond Russia’s borders. Despite this international pressure, Russian au