Russia Fines TikTok $51,000 for Violating Anti-LGBTQ “Propaganda” Law
Interfax.Russian authorities had previously warned TikTok that fines would be imposed if the content remained accessible to Russian TikTok users, reports Reuters.Russia’s “propaganda” law was first adopted in 2013 to ban the spread of information about “non-traditional sexual relations” among minors.This includes any mention of homosexuality, sex education curricula that incorporate lessons about HIV/AIDS and condom use, mentions of LGBTQ historical figures, or content that depicts homosexuality, gender-nonconformity, or failure to conform to sex-based stereotypes in a neutral or positive light.A wide swath of actions, displays, or even inanimate objects have been deemed “violations” of the law, including a teenager’s decision to post pictures of shirtless men who were deemed to “look” homosexual to social media, scenes from a movie about Elton John, the mere existence of an LGBTQ advocacy group, Netflix movie and TV show offerings, a group of World Cup attendees wearing rainbow-colored shirts that appeared to form a “rainbow flag,” and even a bank note that depicted a partially-nude statue of the greek god Apollo.Despite being declared discriminatory by the European Court of Human Rights, Russian lawmakers recently moved to expand the law beyond minors to apply to all adults.As such, any depictions of homosexuality or LGBTQ identity in media, on the Internet, on social media networks, or in the public square, will be outlawed and punished with a fine.The law could even threaten public health by making it illegal for doctors to acknowledge a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity.Russian authorities justify the law by claiming they are seeking to protect Russian citizens from being corrupted by “liberal values”