Russia labels the LGBTQIA+ movement as “extremist”, drawing parallels to terror designation to activists in PH

Last November 30, Russia’s Supreme Court (SC) ruled the international LGBTQIA+ movement as an extremist organization. Human Rights Watch said the ruling jeopardized all forms of LGBTQIA+ rights activism in the country.

Meanwhile, such is indifferent to the hostile situation among activists even the LGBTQIA+ in the country said Bahaghari spokesperson Reyna Salinas Valmores.

“Much like this farcical designation by the Russian Supreme Court, the Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act has been used to arbitrarily designate outspoken individuals and political rivals as “enemies” paralyzed from public participation,” said Valmores.

Russian Justice Ministry through Judge Oleg Nefedov filed the lawsuit before the SC alleging that LGBTQIA+ movement sows “social and religious discord” and outlawed gay, lesbian and transgender campaigns.

Hostile designation for LGBTQIA+

Under Russian criminal law, engagement in or funding of an extremist organization can result in a maximum prison sentence of 12 years. Individuals convicted of displaying symbols associated with such groups may face up to 15 days of detention for a first offense and up to four years in prison for subsequent violations.

Authorities also have the prerogative to add individuals suspected of affiliating with an extremist organization to a nationwide “list of extremists” thus leading to the freezing of their bank accounts. Furthermore, those deemed to be involved with an extremist organization are prohibited from seeking public office.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted this move showed dual purposes: first, it is meant to increase the scapegoating of LGBTQIA+ people to appeal to the Kremlin’s conservative supporters before the March 2024 presidential vote; and second, it is to paralyze the work of rights groups countering discrimination and supporting LGBT people.

HRW added that Russian authorities have long misused Russia’s broad and vague anti-extremism legislation to prosecute peaceful critics and the ruling may result in severe penalties, including imprisonment.

Valmores said that this designation opens the doors to arbitrary crackdowns, attacks on freedom of association and assembly, and the enforcement of a backward, feudal-patriarchal culture of disdain, hatred, lack of scientific understanding, and violence against LGBTQIA+ persons.

She also underscored the enacted Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 being used to curtail the basic human rights of LGBTQIA+ and activists alike, even just the ordinary people.

“The arbitrary application of “anti-extremist” or “anti-terrorist” laws worded in an extremely vague manner is a serious issue Filipino rights defenders sympathize with,” Valmores noted.

Currently, there are already 791 political prisoners in the country nationwide. Rights group Karapatan said the Marcos Jr. administration also utilizes the ATA and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA) to oppress and suppress the rights of the citizens.

The Anti-Terrorism Council has already labeled six activists in Cordillera and Mindanao as “terrorists,” while 18 individuals in Southern Tagalog have been charged with alleged ATA violations. Church members, development workers, and media practitioners who provide services to the people are facing cases of “funding terrorism.”

According to the LGBQIA+ alliance, they have no doubts that parallel persecution will also take place against LGBTQIA+ rights defenders be it in Russia or the Philippines.

Valmores reiterated that instead of persecutory policy, governments around the world should promote pro-equality and pro-democracy laws.

“If there is anything “extreme” and “degenerate”, it is not same-sex love or gender-diverse expression but the tired tactics by imperialist powers of sowing division among working people by vilifying and scapegoating social sectors—in this case, LGBTQIA+ Russians—especially in times of crisis and political strife,” Valmores said.

How tolerating is PH to LGBTQIA+

The Philippines, while deemed as among “tolerating” countries according to Pew Reseach Center survey in 2020, it is alarming to LGBTQIA+ people and activists that gender-based discrimination still transpire due to miseducation and even in recognition of laws to pave a higher discourse of understanding.

“Unfortunately, the progress of the SOGIE Equality Bill or the Anti-Discrimination Bill in this country is being hampered by the silent and indifferent Marcos administration as well as the loud minority of fundamentalists in Congress and the Senate invoking the same nonsensical arguments of “degeneracy” of family values so raised in Russian courts to prevent the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill in the Philippines,”

Since 1994, the LGBTQIA+ in the Philippines has been advocating for human rights, marking the first Pride March on June 26 of that year. Six years later, in 2000, the SOGIE Equality Bill faced repeated failures to be ratified despite efforts.

But the SOGIESC bill faces dire political resistance not to mention the country has a majority Catholic population of 78.8%, making it a formidable political influence.

Such resistance is pioneered by father and son tandem Eddie and Joel Villanueva who is a representative and a senator, respectively. Eddie is the founder of the Jesus is Lord megachurch who described the SOGIESC bill as “imported” and does not represent Filipino values; while the younger Villanueva has accused the bill only of legalizing same-sex marriage.

“We express our full support to the LGBTQIA+ citizens of Russia and the Russian working people yearning for social equality in their country. There is nothing “extreme” about fighting for equality…Nonetheless, we will continue our campaign for the passage of SOGIESC law and the advancement of positive reforms for the LGBTQIA+ community and the Filipino people as a whole,” Valmores said.

Support for peace talks resumption

Bahaghari is also among the groups that supported the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDFP). Both NDFP and GRP signed the Oslo Communique last November 23 which signalled the desire to resume formal peace negotiations.

“Recognizing the political, economic, and social roots of armed conflict is a welcome first half-step towards the long-term goal of attaining just and lasting peace in the Philippines—one that will immensely benefit the LGBTQ+ community and the Filipino people, ” said Valmores.

Meanwhile, Bahaghari alongside rights groups demanded that the Marcos Jr. administration to abrogate the terrorist designation of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) and the NDF itself, as well as the release and safety of detained peace consultants and over 800 political prisoners. Transgender peasant organizer Verdy Pongasi is also one of them.

Rights groups also slammed the continuing dangers of red-tagging as well as terrorist labelling by the state authorities, hence demanding the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist and Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as well as repealing of ATA.