About being LGBTQ+ in Russia
‘Why don’t you just leave?’
People imagine: You just buy a ticket and start a new life.
Reality: Leaving means visas, money, language, housing, work permits.
It also means parents, partners, pets, and your entire life staying behind.
For many people, leaving is not a decision. It’s losing everything.
‘Why you hide it?’
People imagine: Just be yourself. It’s 2026.
Reality: Openness can cost a job, a university place, or housing.
Sometimes safety too.
So people calculate constantly: Who can know? Where? How much?
It’s not shame. It’s risk management.
‘It’s just politics’
People imagine: Laws are abstract debates on TV.
Reality: They shape our daily routines.
What you say at work What photos you post What you delete before crossing a border Who you trust
Politics becomes personal space.
‘I know gay people there — they live normally.’
People imagine: Nothing really happens in everyday life.
Reality: Often it looks fine only from the outside.
No photos together. No public affection. Careful conversations. Different stories for different people.
Safety sometimes depends on invisibility. Pressure rarely looks dramatic. It looks constant.
‘Everyone has problems.’
People imagine: Everyone struggles, nothing special here.
Reality: Most people don’t plan conversations in advance.
Don’t worry about a photo exposing them.
Don’t check laws before holding a hand.
The difference is not suffering more — it’s calculating risks all the time.
