Moscow court charges streamers with LGBTQ+ ‘propaganda’ as Russians flock to Heated Rivalry

A Moscow court has charged Russian streaming services over alleged violations of the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law, amid the global rise of Heated Rivalry.

Public records of the charges didn’t list the content that the streaming services, which include Kinopoisk, Wink, Ivi, Amediteka, 24TV, Digital Television and Beeline TV, are accused of sharing on their platforms, as reported by The Moscow Times. 

The publication added that reporting from Mediazona noted several of the companies had been previously fined for streaming content that was described by Russian authorities as promoting “non-traditional” relationships and lifestyles. 

Wink and Kinopoisk have both been fined at least four times in recent years for distributing so-called LGBTQ+ “propaganda”, while Ivi has also been several times for the same violation. 

The fines come amid the world’s obsession with Heated Rivalry – a Canadian romantic sports drama. 

Based on an instalment of author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, the show follows two rival professional hockey players as they develop feelings for one another and enjoy a multi-year-long secret love story.

Writing for Vanity Fair, Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar wrote that the show has enjoyed “extraordinary success” in the eastern-European country despite its absence from any Russian streaming platform.

Zygar pointed to Kinopoisk, the Russian equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes. Heated Rivalry currently has a rating of 8.6, one of the highest ratings on the site, from over 30,385 viewers. Kinopoisk is one of the platforms that has been fined.

Passed in 2013, Russia’s law banning LGBTQ+ content, colloquially known as the “gay propaganda law, was brought under the pretences of “protecting children” from “propaganda for nontraditional sexual relationships”.

That law was expanded upon in 2022 to cover all content regardless of age. Those found guilty of promoting or engaging with LGBTQ+ media can face fines of up to 400,000 rubles (£3,790) and 5 million rubles (£47,378) for organisations.

In 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court designated the so-called “international LGBT movement” – which does not exist as an organisation – as an “extremist”organisation, effectively criminalising all forms of LGBTQ+ activism. 

Since then, the propaganda law has seen a man fined for joking he started the LGBTQ+ movement, queer bar staff and venue owners jailed, more than 50 club-goers detained at a club night, language-learning app Duolingo forced to remove its inclusive content, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation banned, children’s cartoon My Little Pony labelled 18+, gaming platform Roblox blocked, and a gay student expelled from university for posting make-up videos.

Hugh Williamson, director of the Europe & Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch, said of Russia’s laws: “Russian authorities weaponise and misuse the justice system as a tool in their draconian crusade to enforce ‘traditional values’ and marginalise and censor LGBT people. 

“They are flagrantly violating Russians’ rights to free expression, association and non-discrimination.”

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