PUTININDRAG:QUEERARTISTS CALLINGFORCHANGEINRUSSIA

WRITES SARAH KENNELLY | ARTS & LITERATURE EDITOR

It’s been over a year since Putin launched the violent Russian invasion of Ukraine Within this short span of time, thousands of innocent civilians have been displaced, killed in combat, and forced to flee from homes they may never see again Although the flames of war have slowed in some parts of the country, they continue to burn in places like Bakhmut where Russia is fighting for territorial gains

The city, which is located in the Donetsk Oblast region of Eastern Ukraine, is said to be of strategic importance to Russia because of its regional transport and logistics hub These resources would give Russian forces the capabilities to advance two bigger cities in the region; Kramatorsk and Sloviansk However, after the recent eruption of conflict, it is widely agreed that the destruction of the city’s infrastructure depleted its military value to Russia This has turned Bakhmut into the site of Russia’s war of attrition, aimed at wearing down the Ukrainian army through slow and savage combat

The Wagner Group, which is formed of Russian mercenaries, is at the front line of this fighting, aiming to exhaust Ukrainian forces However, its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has criticised Russian leadership for its poor military defence strategy that has left his squad with little ammunition Given their dwindling artillery stockpile, low-ranking soldiers are acting as human shields against Ukrainian counter-attacks According to Prigozhin, Wagner Group has suffered significant losses as a result of this, depleting his trust in Putin’s strategy

The brazenness of this opposition comes as a surprise to everyone who is familiar with Putin’s ruthless track record against dissenters It is not often that someone from within the Russian forces publicly scrutinises his policies In fact, there are newly established War Censorship Laws that could criminalise Prigozhin’s statements for failing to align with the beliefs of his superiors It is likely that this will be framed as an attack on Putin’s authority because it undermines his status as the righteous leader

This feeds into Putin’s carefully curated cult of personality that portrays him as the pinnacle of masculine excellence Through state-sponsored propaganda he has crafted an image that is powerful, macho, and all-knowing This identity is integral to his position as leader because it justifies and glorifies his tyrannical rule

Along with Putin’s programme for masculine dominance comes his relentless attacks on the Russian LGBTQIA+ community who threaten it Although, historically, Russia has always been hostile to its queer citizens, Putin has drastically escalated institutional homophobia in the last decade This began in 2013 with the passing of a law banning “gay propaganda” which is the spreading of nontraditional sexual messages to minors It acted as an integral part of the government’s plan to invisibilise queerness and strengthen support for sexual prejudice This meant that the rainbow was essentially banned in public media because it could be construed as support for Queer lifestyles. Anyone convicted of this offence would be heavily fined or jailed if they were brought to court This helped to further reinforce anti-gay values into the Russian legal system It also led to a rise in homophobic attacks across Russia because it justified violence against Queer people

In retaliation, Queer artists created portraits of Putin featuring drag makeup, rainbows, and multiple other iconic symbols of the LGBTQIA+ Community The most famous of these renditions is “Gay Clown Putin '' which sees the leader in neon pink lipstick, blue eyeshadow, and exaggeratedly long eyelashes The photoshopped masterpiece was first published on Tumblr in 2013 following the upsurge in anti-gay propaganda Other recreations depict Putin riding rainbows, dressed as Care Bears, or incorporated into Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon'' album cover This prompted the establishment of the Dutch campaign putininarainbow.com which acts as a collection of all the images featuring Putin adorned with rainbows It is a testament to the courage of Queer artists that stand against the anti-gay propaganda that Putin spews in a bid to vilify their community

These images have been very effective in achieving their objective of humiliating and subverting the leader’s image as a hyper masculine role model Their colourful and whimsical backdrops aim to emasculate Putin and call his sexuality into question This is seen as an unforgivable insult to a leader whose personality is rooted in machismo that is steeped in homophobia Queer artists are fighting back by using Putin’s anti-gay rhetoric against him to showcase both the shallowness of his claims and undermine the strength of his wisdom

Although these images may seem like simple memes to some, they are regarded as a national security threat in the eyes of their government This is because they are interpreted as an attack on the moral and religious values of Russian society They are said to promote “alternative sexual relations” which is outlawed in the region In fact, the distribution of the images became so widespread, that in 2017, Putin banned the image It became the 4,074th item on the list of banned “extremist” materials in Russia, many of them queer-related Putin criticised it as a product of Western intervention in Russian affairs This stems from his fear of Europe’s liberal policies on gender and sexual expression, labelling it a “Gayropa” because of its so-called moral deviancy

Although the image now has legal sanctions against it, this has not stopped the upsurge in its popularity following the Russo-Ukraine War There has been a revival of Gay Clown Putin and Drag Putin both in Europe and Russia This comes as a form of activism through art which seeks to denounce Russia’s violence and Putin’s cruelty When it comes to public dissent, this is one of the most important and prevalent images used by anti-war protesters from Russia

Unfortunately, the resurgence of Putin’s rainbows also came with the establishment of laws that further ban freedom of expression in regards to sexuality The timing of this homophobic rhetoric is strategic given the major losses that the Russian army continues to face in this losing war With the destruction of the country’s economy, infrastructure, and social stability, a scapegoat was needed for the Russian government to place the blame on The Queer Community is the first target of these attacks, with an increase in anti-gay propaganda to shift attention away from Putin’s failings as a military leader

With more than 200,000 Russian troops killed or injured and a country suffering from international economic and political sanctions, Putin’s strategy is becoming increasingly unpopular The rise of opposition from military personnel and social activists is a challenge to his authority in a time where his leadership must be strong This is prompting viscous reactions from his government in an attempt to silence dissenters and further his prejudiced agenda