Russia: Lesbian artist faces six years jail for creating innocent pictures

A lesbian artist has spent months under house arrest and is facing fines and six years jail, just for publishing innocent images in Russia.

Yulja Tsvetkova faces three separate trials. Under the first, Russia has charged her with ‘pornography’, with a penalty of up to six years in prison. Moreover, she also faces two trials for LGBT+ ‘propaganda’ – with a fine of 50 million rubles (€600 $625) for each one.

But despite all this, Tsvetkova told GSN that she would continue her artistic work and fight for LGBT+ people.

In the pornography case, Tsvetkova posted a drawing of a vagina in a social media page about body positivity. The page features many figurative and artistic images of vaginas. They wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery and certainly aren’t pornographic.

In addition, the 26-year-old published articles on queer culture, supporting LGBT+ youth and discrimination for LGBT+ people in Russia on a social media group. That earned her one charge of distributing LGBT+ ‘propaganda’.

The other ‘propaganda’ charge came after Tsvetkova drew an illustration of a lesbian and gay couple with kids.

Continue reading: https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/this-lesbian-artist-faces-six-years-jail-for-creating-innocent-pictures/ (source)

Updates:

• Update: Protesters arrested in Russia for supporting lesbian activist
• Russia: two additional cases opened against lesbian activist Julia Tsvetkova
• Update: Russian lesbian feminist fined for gay propaganda, still facing jail on pornography charge
• Russia: Julia Tsvetkova, lesbian feminist activist on the state campaign against her
• Update: criminalisation of Russian lesbian feminist Yulia Tsvetkova continues