PUTIN’S WAR ON GAYS (feature story)

The Observer UK (Print Feature), Guardian UK (Online Feature), INFORMATION DK (Print Feature)
The Internationalist UK (Print Feature), Svenska Dagbladet (Print Feature), YEN Magazine (Print Feature)

Recent laws determined by Vladimir Putin and the Russian Government restrict LGBT human rights despite the decriminalization of homosexuality in the constitution in 1993 and the removal of the term from the list of psychological disorders in 1999. Since the ban on 'propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations to minors' bill was signed into law, the Russian Government has stigmatised LGBT people and prompted a devastating rise in homophobic acts of violence, since there exists no law in the current Russian legislation which outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation, these hate crimes seldom receive the deserved punishment. Russian members of the LGBT community who are naturally born equal are socially ostracized from their community through the law, which institutionally devalues their personhood. Putin's government and it’s latest emphasis on 'patriotism' and the 'traditional family’ rubric together with it's despicable view of the Western world's liberalism, has heightened the homophobic atmosphere and casually stripped LGBT people of their basic human rights. This photo-essay is a collection of visual biographies, accompanied by textual testimonials; each represents a smaller part of the whole constellation of those directly affected by Putin’s oppressive regime.