The Emergence and Development of LGBT Protest Activity in Russia

Book excerpt: This book draws on social movement theories and rich empirical data to analyze LGBT protest activity in Russia. It offers a critical examination of the conditions under which LGBT protest activity arises and declines in authoritarian states - including state repression and socio-political discrimination of LGBT people; policy changes that negatively affect the LGBT community; and the motivations of the activists themselves. The author argues that a combination of political opportunity structures, resources, and activists’ perceptions establish necessary conditions for protesting. If any of these factors are negatively affected, then LGBT activists would not be motivated to protest. The volume concludes with a discussion of the implications of Russian LGBT activism in hostile conditions. This book will be of interest to scholars engaged in human rights, social movement studies, gender studies, LGBT rights, and post-Soviet politics and societies.