“The state views us as ideological enemies” (18+)
Interview with Igor Kochetkov, who saved Chechen gays and is now called by the Ministry of Justice “three times a foreign agent”
By Kirill Martynov
Novaya Gazeta (20.11.2021) – https://bit.ly/3DCu1gN – Igor Kochetkov – historian, human rights activist, founder of the Russian LGBT network – in mid-November was recognized by the Ministry of Justice as “an individual performing the functions of a foreign media agent”. Kochetkov opposed Russian legislation introducing the concept of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”. In recent years, he has been actively engaged in helping LGBT people facing torture and harassment in the North Caucasus.
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of “Novaya” Kirill Martynov talked to Igor Kochetkov about the role of homophobia in modern Russian politics, how the anti-vaccination movement borrows human rights rhetoric, about the personal risks of activists and the Russian future. Has LGBT really become the most successful social movement in Russia in the last 20 years, and the state will no longer be able to stop the cultural changes taking place in Russian society?
FROM THE EDITORIAL OFFICE
The hero of this interview is a person who, in accordance with the new laws of the Russian Federation, is obliged to indicate everywhere:
“THIS MESSAGE (MATERIAL) WAS CREATED AND/OR DISTRIBUTED BY A FOREIGN MEDIA ACTING AS A FOREIGN AGENT AND/OR A RUSSIAN LEGAL ENTITY ACTING AS A FOREIGN AGENT.”
– The Russian state is talking about the so-called traditional values that distinguish us very much from the modern West, and this difference seems to be based on our sovereignty. If we begin to deal with what is behind this rhetoric, then inside, apparently, there is an absolute void, there is nothing but a desire to extract rent from the country and not share it with anyone. But there is one specific thing that everyone understands: presumably we differ from Europe in that we do not like gays. In this sense, homophobia is Koshcheev’s egg of Russian power. As if we didn’t have homophobia, Russia would cease to be a great, independent, sovereign power.
Continue reading this long interview in automatic translation
Photo credits: RIA Novosti