Repressive laws and a wartime crackdown have made Russia’s LGBTQ+ community more invisible than ever. But activists continue operating despite the risks, and NGOs have found a way to keep operating on the ground (even if staff are located abroad).

We spoke with Max, a trans man in Rostov-on-Don, who opposes the war in Ukraine and has remained involved in political activism since the full-scale invasion. Max rushed into his transition when Russia first announced it was looking to ban people from changing their gender. We also talked to Margarita, a gay woman in Yekaterinburg who runs an underground organization helping the LGBTQ+ community. Despite the safety concerns, they don’t want to stop what they’re doing. 

The identities of some of our interviewees have been disguised for safety reasons.