Russia has placed British musician Elton John's charity that focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and awareness on its list of "undesirable organizations" over what it called "promotion of non-traditional sexual relations," the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said on April 3.
The non-profit, which was launched in 1992 and is based in the U.S. and the U.K., says it works in over 90 countries "to increase access to health care, tackle LGBTQ+ stigma, and end AIDS."
In their statement, Russian prosecutors claim the charity is "focused on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, Western family models, and gender reassignment."
The move underscores Russia's increasingly harsh crackdown on the LGBT community as the country's Supreme Court declared a loosely defined "international LGBT social movement" an "extremist organization" in 2023.
The Kremlin's offensive on gay rights intensified following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia passed legislation banning the public expression of LGBT identity in Russia in December 2022.
The following year, the Russian State Duma targeted the transgender community, banning gender-affirming care in July 2023.
Russia's law on "undesirable" organizations has existed since 2015. It has been used to target perceived opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin, including NGOs, independent media outlets, and human rights groups.
Katie Marie Davies
(Updated: )
