November 26, 2024

Crackdowns on Queer Nightlife Continue


Crackdowns on Queer Nightlife Continue
Voronezh, Russia.  Роман Дергунов, Wikimedia Commons

Clubgoers in Voronezh have been charged with extremism after attending a gathering that featured drag performances.

Around 2 a.m. on November 23, armed security forces raided a club called Zebra Bar and brought everyone present, about 40 people, to the police station. One officer used a stun gun on a man who had refused to give his name. The club visitors were released hours later, at 10 a.m. 

This raid follows a growing number of police crackdowns on LGBT+ nightlife in cities across Russia. Just weeks ago, on November 9, a bar owner and three drag performers in Kirov were criminally charged with "organizing for the international LGBT movement." 

 

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