Concerns Russia Could Ban LGBTQIA+ Literature Under Propaganda Laws

LGBTQIA+ literature is likely to be targeted by a new panel set up to assess books for compliance with increasingly strict “propaganda” laws in Russia.

According to the state-affiliated Vedomosti newspaper, publishers and libraries in Russia have set up the advisory body, called the Expert Centre, to examine books for illegal content and recommend their withdrawal from publication.

It includes representatives of the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor, leaders from the Russian Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as members of historical and legal associations.

Booksellers in Russia starting to self censor

Its recommendations have already resulted in three books being suspended from sale: Heritage by Vladimir Sorokin, Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin and A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham.

In December, before the Expert Centre was established, one of Russia’s largest book publishers shut down the printing and sale of books by exiled anti-war writers Boris Akunin and Dmitry Bykov.

Anticipating further censorship, Sorokin, Balwin and Cunningham’s books had already featured in a list of 252 titles likely to be targeted by authorities.

The Moscow Times reports that a major online bookseller has stopped selling 180 of these books in a likely case of self-censorship.

Russia’s largest e-book seller has asked authors to rewrite works to comply with the anti-LGBT propaganda law, according to RBC news.

A librarian who leaked a list of books he was told to destroy had to escape the country and apply for asylum in Spain to avoid being jailed.

Confusion around what exactly constitutes a “non-traditional” relationship has led bookshops to be overly cautious in the books they choose to sell, the Moscow Times observes.

However, one bookstore owner told the news website “People may not have even thought about buying LGBT-related books or books about foreign agents. And now, due to the fact that they could potentially be banned, they immediately became interested in them and started buying them. As always, all these bans work the other way around.”

Meduza states that many publishing companies are looking to set up in former Soviet states like Kazakhstan in order to circumvent the laws.

However, the Kommersant newspaper notes the difficulties of making such a business financially viable.

This crackdown on queer literature comes as the owner of a gay nightclub and two of his employees have been arrested and charged for “promoting non-traditional sexual relationships and preferences” and participating in an “extremist organisation”.