Russia has imposed an outright ban on the 2005 award-winning film Brokeback Mountain, by making it impossible to even download pirated versions of the film.
The film, telling the story of a forbidden love between two cowboys in 1960s rural Wyoming, was initially banned from streaming services in 2023, along with other films considered to be “LGBT propaganda.”
This followed a 2022 amendment of an earlier law aimed at “protecting children from information advocating a denial of traditional families” to now include a ban on “LGBT, pedophilia, and transsexual propaganda in media.”
Now, Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor has identified three pirate websites that made the film available and blocked the ability to download the film from them as well.
This followed a 2022 amendment of an earlier law aimed at “protecting children from information advocating a denial of traditional families” to now include a ban on “LGBT, pedophilia, and transsexual propaganda in media.”
Now, Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor has identified three pirate websites that made the film available and blocked the ability to download the film from them as well.
According to Russian media reports, the ban is aimed at films presenting “nontraditional sexual relations” as attractive, presenting non-heterosexual relationships as equally valuable for society compared to “traditional” heterosexual relationships, and justifying the preference for non-heterosexual relationships.
The reports also say the ban is for films which attempt to convince the audience to view non-heterosexual relationships positively and that encourage a positive attitude to what the regulators call “sex change.”
Directed by Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain gained critical recognition, raked in three Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, two BAFTAs, and dozens of other awards, and brought in $178 million at the box office against a modest $14 million budget.
The reports also say the ban is for films which attempt to convince the audience to view non-heterosexual relationships positively and that encourage a positive attitude to what the regulators call “sex change.”
Directed by Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain gained critical recognition, raked in three Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, two BAFTAs, and dozens of other awards, and brought in $178 million at the box office against a modest $14 million budget.
Banning various Western-produced media is just one way in which censorship manifests itself in Russia.
The Kremlin has clamped down on independent media, arrested Russian journalists and foreign correspondents, and early in August practically blocked access to YouTube, making it even harder for Russian citizens to access information other than state-sanctioned propaganda.
The ‘LGBT Equality Index,’ which assesses countries based on societal acceptance and legal recognition (or persecution) of LGBT persons, currently ranks Russia 145th (out of 196) globally, and 50th (out of 50) in Europe.
The Kremlin has clamped down on independent media, arrested Russian journalists and foreign correspondents, and early in August practically blocked access to YouTube, making it even harder for Russian citizens to access information other than state-sanctioned propaganda.
The ‘LGBT Equality Index,’ which assesses countries based on societal acceptance and legal recognition (or persecution) of LGBT persons, currently ranks Russia 145th (out of 196) globally, and 50th (out of 50) in Europe.
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