Sloane, Wendy (2024) Transphobia as a weapon of war: reporting on Russia’s trans community amidst heightened regulation, censorship and propaganda. In: Kremlin media wars: censorship and control since the invasion of Ukraine. Routledge Studies in Media, Communication, and Politics . Routledge, London. ISBN 9781032775876 (hardback) (In Press)
In the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, global attention has been focused on the atrocities committed there, overshadowing the repression of minoritised groups within Russia, including the LGBTQ community. Restrictions on the press have exacerbated the situation. This chapter explores the latest crackdown on the very existence of LGBTQ Russians, particularly those in the trans community, and the resultant impact of new legislation that curtails their rights. It also examines expanded laws that criminalise journalists and others reporting positively on LGBTQ issues, causing many to practice self-censorship by avoiding the topics entirely or framing them according to state-approved narratives. Using the Hierarchy of Influences framework and historical and comparative methodology, this chapter demonstrates how state policies towards Russia’s LGBTQ community, coupled with reporting restrictions, work together to strip it of previously held freedoms, and make it impossible for journalists to maintain autonomy when reporting on LGBTQ issues.
Restricted to Repository staff only until 18 July 2026.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0.
Download (152kB)
View Item |