More details of people being arrested in Russia for wearing clothes that don’t align with “traditional lifestyles” including one case where a man was reportedly fined for wearing pink socks in public.
The case is one of a series that have recently come to light where clothing offences have seen people end up in court over their choice of clothing. Crop tops, earrings, eye-brow piercings, coloured hair and shorts have also featured in cases before judges.
Russia first introduced a law forbidding depictions of non-traditional relationships being viewed by minors in 2013, but a decade later ramped up the laws to include all people.
In 2023 the Russian government declared the international movement for LGBTIQA+ rights was an extremist organisation and any advocacy for gay rights in the country would be viewed as a criminal activity.
The law has seen people reportedly arrested for wearing rainbow earrings, and clubs popular with the LGBTIQA+ communities have frequently been raided.
Independent news outlet Verstka has recently reported that a number of cases that have appeared before the courts have now become public. Details of the cases were republished in Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper.
In February when a nightclub in Tula was raised eight people ended up in court with police alleging their clothing promoted non-traditional sexual relations.
One man was described as having cross made from tape across his nipples, while another was reportedly wearing pink socks and a kimono. Another reveler was reporting to wearing leather shorts, fishnets, and a crop top.
Judges ruled that the men’s clothing was promoting a non-traditional lifestyle, and their clothing was not consistent with the image of a man with a traditional sexual orientation.
One of the men who were arrested was not fined by the court after he claimed that he was a goth, and this was the reason for his dyed hair and facial piercings. Not all of the court’s decisions are made public, but some of those found guilty were fined around AUD$700.
How many cases of this nature are passing through Russian courts is hard to determine, but raids of venues favoured by LGBTIQA+ communities are increasing. According to research by Verstka there are 71 known cases in 2024 where people were fined between AUD$700 and $2,800 over alleged offences.
