A 22-year-old Russian man has been fined for spreading what authorities describe as “LGBT propaganda” after posting an image of the legendary rock band Queen dressed in women’s clothing, according to media reports.
A Moscow court upheld a decision to convict David Gevondyan for sharing an image online of Queen members dressed in drag while filming their 1984 music video for the hit single “I Want to Break Free,” independent Russian outlet Verstka reported.
The image, which Gevondyan posted on the social media platform VK, was deemed an example of “LGBT propaganda” and was said to contribute to “destroying family values” and “distorting the idea of the relationship between a man and a woman,” according to the court’s decision quoted by Verstka.
The ruling comes amid a broader crackdown on expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity in Russia, which President Vladimir Putin has portrayed as evidence of moral decay in Western countries.
He has framed restrictions on LGBT+ rights as a measure to “protect” the traditional family model.
In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court designated what it called “the international LGBT social movement” as “extremist,”despite protests from numerous human rights organizations, which argue that Russian legislation discriminates against sexual minorities.
‘Threat to demographic growth’
The ruling against Gevondyan was initially issued last March, but he appealed the decision, arguing that the photo was simply a still from a well-known music video and did not constitute “LGBT propaganda.”
The court, however, dismissed this argument, saying that Gevondyan’s post had “no musical connotation.”
It noted that the 22-year-old had posted other images on his VK page, including photos of two men kissing and images of two men wearing miniskirts, stockings and wigs, for which he was also fined, Verstka reported.
The court further argued that Gevondyan’s posts depicted “non-traditional sexual relationships as natural” and therefore posed “a threat to the country’s demographic growth and economic development.”
The exact amount of the fines remains unknown, but under Russian law, individuals can be fined up to 200,000 rubles (about €2,200) for disseminating materials online that the authorities deem to promote “non-traditional sexual relations.”
The court also found Gevondyan guilty of displaying “extremist” symbols by posting on social media a flag that has been historically used by Ukrainian nationalists. For that, he was sentenced to 10 days in jail.
Ongoing crackdown
Since 2024, Russian courts have issued more than 100 convictions for “extremism” for involvement in what the Kremlin frames as the “international LGBT movement,” according to Human Rights Watch.
United Nations experts have warned that Russian laws discriminate against sexual minorities and enable arbitrary enforcement.
Russia ranked last in Europe for LGBT+ rights in 2025, according to ILGA-Europe, a network of European NGOs supporting the rights of sexual and gender minorities.