The Russian LGBT Network is shutting down. In April, a court designated the organization “extremist”

Social movement The Russian LGBT Network has officially announced its closure. According to a statement on its Telegram channel, its previous format of public work became impossible after the organization was designated “extremist.”

The decision to cease operations was made after a thorough risk assessment. Representatives of the movement stressed that continuing to operate openly could pose direct threats to members, supporters, and those who received assistance. In a repressive environment beyond the organization’s control, people’s safety became the top priority.

Key changes to the organization’s work:

• All public activities have ceased, the movement no longer has any official representatives, and its activists are ending their work.
• In the near future, there will be all of the organization's social media accounts have been deleted.

Historical context and legal pressure: The Russian LGBT Network is an interregional movement that has worked to protect the rights and support the social integration of queer people since 2006. Pressure on the organization mounted gradually:

1. In 2021, the movement and its co-founder Igor Kochetkov were designated “foreign agents”.
2. In late April 2026, the St. Petersburg City Court, acting on a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice, declared the organization “extremist” and banned its activities in Russia (the hearing was held behind closed doors).

These measures are part of a broader campaign: in 2023, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the nonexistent “international LGBT public movement” extremist. Since then, the Russian authorities have regularly persecuted any civil society organizations associated with the LGBTQ community, designating them as “extremist.”

• Russian LGBT Network (English: Russian LGBT network) — a Russian interregional public movement focused on protecting the rights and social inclusion of sexual and gender minorities (abbreviated LGBT).
• The movement was founded in May 2006. On October 19, 2008, the organization was transformed into the Russian LGBT Network Interregional Public Movement, with Igor Kochetkov elected as its chair. It was the first and only interregional LGBT organization in Russia.
• The movement was established to build public support for eliminating all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, promote tolerance in Russian society, and encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to participate actively in public life. One of the organization's goals was to combat fake-date robberies—robberies following online encounters—targeting gay and bisexual men.
• The organization's website, www.lgbtnet.org, is no longer accessible.