Repressive laws and a wartime crackdown have made Russia’s LGBTQ+ community more invisible than ever. But activists continue operating despite the risks, and NGOs have found a way to keep operating on the ground (even if staff are located abroad).

We spoke with Max, a trans man in Rostov-on-Don, who opposes the war in Ukraine and has remained involved in political activism since the full-scale invasion. Max rushed into his transition when Russia first announced it was looking to ban people from changing their gender. We also talked to Margarita, a gay woman in Yekaterinburg who runs an underground organization helping the LGBTQ+ community. Despite the safety concerns, they don’t want to stop what they’re doing. 

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The identities of some of our interviewees have been disguised for safety reasons. Please leave a comment and rate our podcast! Tell your friends about us and spread the word on social media. Special thanks to Katya Dyba, our scriptwriter, who works closely on every episode with us, helping to make the narrative cohesive and compelling.