Why is Russia ramping up its attacks on LGBT rights during the Ukraine invasion?

Russian president Vladimir Putin has authorised the creation of an institute for the “study of LGBT people” within the country's federal psychiatric unit. At the same time, the State Duma – Russia's lower house of parliament – unanimously approved a bill prohibiting the change of documents and sex-change surgery to be provided for transgender individuals. Human rights activists in Russia have sounded the alarm over this, and they warn that it could lead to individuals resorting to black market surgeries and a spike in deaths, as well as penalties and imprisonment. While Russia has had one of t…

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