Russia's longest-running LGBTIQ+ news website has been blocked by the Russian government amidst claims that it violates the country's law against “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”.
Gay.ru has been delivering local LGBTIQ+ news for over 20 years and was previously told that it was not in violation of the "gay propaganda" law, which passed in 2013.
According to an official warning from the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), the website "contains information that spreads propaganda of non-traditional sexual practices, and its dissemination in Russia is prohibited."
A screenshot of the popular Russian website. Source: gay.ru
It continued: "[The website] may incite interest [for minors] to try non-traditional sexual practices which is a real threat to their health."
However, Gay.ru administrators say they will appeal the court ruling and even challenge the blocking of the website in international courts.
Speaking to Gay Star News, Gay.ru's Ed Mishin said he had no idea why the website had been blocked now after running successfully for so long.
"The site was blacklisted because 'any person from the internet, even a child, can read it'," he said.
The website, which averages 30,000 hits a day and requires users to agree that they're over 18-years-old before entering, is still available outside of Russia.
A much needed resource for members of the local LGBTIQ+ community, Mishin says the website "features more than 15,000 articles and documents in Russian and 500 in English".
