Belarus LGBTQI+ rights statement

The period under review demonstrates the further radicalization of state and pro-government anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric following the adoption of amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses introducing liability for the so-called “propaganda of homosexual relationships, gender transition, childlessness, and pedophilia.” While previous periods were primarily characterized by the legal institutionalization of discriminatory mechanisms, the current period is marked by a significant intensification of state propaganda and ideological reinforcement.

Homophobic and transphobic rhetoric is increasingly used not only as a tool for stigmatizing queer people, but also as an element of a broader anti-Western, anti-liberal, and anti-human rights agenda. LGBTQ+ topics are systematically associated with “degeneracy,” foreign influence, the “destructive” activities of civil society, and threats to state sovereignty.

At the same time, the dehumanizing nature of public rhetoric continues to intensify. Publications by pro-government Telegram channels, state media outlets, and propaganda broadcasts increasingly employ insulting and derogatory language, rhetoric of disgust and violence, and explicit justification of repressive measures against LGBTQ+ people and associated groups.

One of the notable trends of the period is that pro-government and regional media effectively frame the new law specifically as a “law against LGBT propaganda,” emphasizing this wording in headlines while minimizing references to other provisions of the legislation. This demonstrates that the central target of the new repressive framework is precisely the restriction of LGBTQ+ visibility and public presence.

For example, regional publications such as “Punishment for ‘LGBT Propaganda’ in Belarus: When the Law Comes into Force and How Much People Will Have to Pay” and “Belarus Introduces Fines for ‘LGBT Propaganda’ Starting in June: Details of the Law and Penalty Amounts” describe the legislation directly and exclusively as being aimed against “LGBT propaganda.”

Pro-government Telegram channels continue to actively reinforce and radicalize this rhetoric. In a publication by the “GUBAZA” channel dated April 16, 2026, dedicated to the approval of the draft law by the Council of the Republic, the authors emphasize that in the Russian Federation “LGBT is generally considered an extremist movement,” after which they express confidence that GUBOPiK officers “will not stay aside from identifying and bringing scoundrels on this line to responsibility.” In this way, repressive practices against LGBTQ+ people are openly presented as desirable and expected activities of law enforcement agencies.

In another publication by the same channel dated April 16 criticizing the reaction of UN experts to the new law, LGBTQ+ topics are once again merged with pedophilia and contrasted with the “truly civilized world.” The authors claim that “countering non-traditional values, pedophilia, and childlessness is becoming a trend,” thereby continuing the practice of artificially conflating LGBTQ+ identities with criminal acts and moral danger.

Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric during the period under review becomes increasingly integrated into a broader anti-Western discourse. In the article “VPN as a Road to Hell” published on April 24, 2026 on SB.by, “Western values” are described through a list of negatively framed phenomena including “LGBT + trans people,” “pedophilia,” “moral corruption,” and “drug districts.” In this way, LGBTQ+ topics are used as symbols of a “foreign” civilizational model opposed to “traditional” Belarus.

A similar logic is visible in publications by the Telegram channel “Yellow Plums”. In a post published on April 18, 2026, support for banning “LGBT propaganda” is accompanied by claims that rejection of “LGBT propaganda” is supposedly a sign of “normality,” while LGBTQ+ topics themselves are described using rhetoric of “filth” and “perversion.” The publication further claims that opposition to “LGBT propaganda” was what enabled Donald Trump to win the U.S. elections, thereby embedding anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric into a broader global political and ideological context.

A particularly significant development during the period is the further normalization of hate speech and public incitement to violence in broadcasts by state propagandists and media personalities. In the “Letuchka” program on SBTV featuring Lyudmila Gladkaya, Grigory Azaryonok, and Yevgeny Gorin, published on YouTube on April 16, the participants discuss the introduction of fines for the so-called “propaganda of homosexual relationships.” During the broadcast, degrading and dehumanizing remarks about LGBTQ+ people are voiced alongside explicit justifications for repression and violence.

Grigory Azaryonok states that LGBTQ+ people should exist only “behind closed doors” and without public visibility, while the very possibility of openly queer existence is described as a feature of “European civilization,” which the participants contrast with Belarus. LGBTQ+ topics are associated with “degeneracy,” “gay parades,” foreign loans, and threats to children.

Particularly revealing are the direct statements supporting harsher repressive measures. During the discussion, Azaryonok states: “In fact, I would imprison them,” to which Lyudmila Gladkaya responds: “I would shoot them,” while laughing. The program further includes references to the electric chair for homosexuality, discussed without condemnation and in a context justifying harsh punishment. The phrase “how they are not even human” is also used during the broadcast, representing direct dehumanization of LGBTQ+ people.

Such statements demonstrate extreme dehumanization and the normalization of virtually any form of violence against LGBTQ+ people within the public rhetoric of state media. While previous periods were dominated by stigmatization and moral panic, the current period increasingly features direct justifications of criminal prosecution, isolation, and physical violence against LGBTQ+ people.

Another important trend of the period is the further radicalization of hate speech and dehumanization. Publications by pro-government resources use insulting language directed not only against LGBTQ+ people, but also against associated activists, feminists, childfree people, and political opponents.

Particularly illustrative is Andrei Mukovozchik’s article “Flowers of Life” published on April 21, 2026 on SB.by. The text employs degrading expressions such as the slur “gender holes,” while women supporting childfree positions are described as “dirty,” “unkempt,” and “disliking children.” The author explicitly welcomes the introduction of restrictions, stating that “it’s good that they shut their mouths.” In this way, restrictions on freedom of expression and state intervention into the public sphere are framed as socially beneficial and desirable.

The material also demonstrates the expansion of targets within the anti-LGBTQ+ campaign. Beyond queer people themselves, the objects of discreditation now include feminism, gender equality, childfree positions, and any criticism of the “traditional family.” These themes are portrayed as components of a single “Western” ideology allegedly threatening demography, morality, and social order, with the LGBTQ+ community serving as its central symbolic representation.

Another example of radicalization is the publication “The Rainbow Tie of Publishers” published on April 22, 2026 on SB.by. The text discusses the criminal prosecution of Russian publishing houses for distributing LGBTQ+ literature and effectively endorses censorship, criminal cases, and repression against publishers. The author uses phrases such as “rainbow extremists,” “corrupting youth,” and “subversive networks,” while directly stating that people responsible for such actions “should be hanged.”

It is especially significant that the article positively describes the Russian practice of designating the “LGBT movement” as extremist and criminally prosecuting the distribution of LGBTQ+ content. This demonstrates the continuing convergence of Belarusian pro-government discourse with the Russian repressive model and the normalization of increasingly severe forms of persecution.

During the period under review, LGBTQ+ people also continue to be portrayed as an “internal enemy” linked to foreign funding, “grants,” and external influence. In a publication by the “Yellow Plums” channel dated April 22, 2026, LGBTQ+ activists and human rights defenders are described as so-called “grant-eaters,” “fraudsters,” and promoters of the “propaganda of deviance.” The publication contrasts “normal” society with people allegedly existing solely due to Western funding.

A similar logic appears in another publication dated April 24 in which a transgender person is used as an object of humiliation and threats. The text includes implications of violence and justification of possible retaliation, while a Belarusian prison is described as “the safest place” for the person and their partner. Such rhetoric further lowers the threshold of acceptable violence in public discourse.

In a publication by “GUBAZA” dedicated to an anti-xenophobia action in Warsaw, transgender people are described through rhetoric of “deviations” and “gender-pervert grants.” LGBTQ+ identity is incorporated into a broader narrative about “wrong” migrants, opposition activists, and people dependent on Western funding.

Thus, during the period under review, there is a continuing shift from isolated homophobic and transphobic statements toward a more coherent and systemic model of ideological mobilization. LGBTQ+ topics are increasingly used as a universal instrument for discrediting political opponents, human rights defenders, independent media, feminist initiatives, and any groups associated with the “West” and civil society.

Conclusion

The period under review demonstrates the continued intensification and radicalization of anti-LGBTQ+ policy in Belarus following the adoption of legislation on so-called “propaganda.” While earlier stages focused primarily on the legal institutionalization of restrictions, the current period is characterized by the rapid expansion of their ideological and media reinforcement. LGBTQ+ topics are increasingly integrated into state and pro-government narratives about the “protection of traditional values,” opposition to the West, and the fight against “internal threats.” At the same time, the actual purpose of the law is openly interpreted by state and regional media as restricting LGBTQ+ visibility rather than protecting children or preventing unlawful conduct.

At the same time, there is a qualitative escalation in the language of public aggression. Pro-government media, Telegram channels, and state broadcasts increasingly feature dehumanizing and degrading portrayals of LGBTQ+ people, feminists, childfree people, and human rights defenders, alongside growing justification of censorship, criminal prosecution, and direct expressions of support for violence. Against this backdrop, the Belarusian discourse is becoming increasingly aligned with the Russian repressive model, including the normalization of framing LGBTQ+ people as “extremists,” threats to the state, and agents of “foreign influence.”

Under these conditions, continued monitoring of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and repressive practices, as well as support for the Belarusian queer community, becomes especially important. Intensifying stigmatization and the normalization of hate speech increase the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ people both inside Belarus and in exile. This makes the preservation of safe spaces, international solidarity, support for independent initiatives, and access to psychological, legal, and informational assistance critically important.