Russian bookstores have started removing LGBT-themed works from their catalogues after President Vladimir Putin signed a wide-reaching ban on expressions of LGBT identity into law on Monday.
Under the new law that entered into force immediately after its signing, bookstores, film and video game makers, as well as advertisers and media outlets, risk being shut down for any display of LGBT relationships.
Russia’s largest bookselling chain Chitay-Gorod and the trendy Moscow bookstore Respublika swiftly moved to remove works that deal with “non-traditional relations” upon the law’s signing, according to the independent Novaya Gazeta Europe news outlet.
When asked about “Leto v Pionerskom Galstuke” (“Summer in a Pioneer Tie”), a young adult bestseller about a relationship between two teenage boys, and its sequel, a Chitay-Gorod worker said:
“You’re not going to buy them anywhere now.”
LitRes, one of Russia’s largest e-book sellers, has asked authors to rewrite their works to comply with the anti-LGBT law, according to the RBC news website.
“If the author doesn’t respond, we’ll analyze the text ourselves and then decide whether to sell the book,” Yevgeny Selivanov, LitRes’ head of content development, said.
He estimates the share of books subject to redactions of LGBT content at 1% of its overall inventory.
Selivanov said “some” LGBT-themed books had already been pulled from LitRes’ catalogue without identifying them by name.
Similarly, Russian libraries and bookstores had moved over the past week to hide works by “foreign agent” authors, including wrapping them in brown paper, displaying them with blank covers or telling readers they are out of stock.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
