From Stalin to the "roosters": Why Russian men are afraid of everything "gay"
FEBRUARY 23 IN RUSSIA NOTED DAY OF DEFENDER OF HOMELAND. The day of the Red Army and Navy of the Soviet era has today transformed into the day of "real men." Congratulations to all, regardless of whether they served or not - and the young "future defenders" as well. Like any gender-colored holiday, February 23 raises many questions - primarily because it glorifies stereotypical ideas of masculinity: this day automatically divides the population into “defenders” and those who, in fact, need to be defended, and around are praises of military aggression and dominance. By this date, we decided to find out why the image of the "real" man is so important in Russia - and why the Russians are so afraid of everything "feminine" and "gay."
How it all began
It is hardly surprising to anyone that homophobic sentiments reign in Russia. According to Levada Center in 2015, 37% of Russian respondents consider homosexuality to be a disease - despite the fact that this approach has long been recognized as unscientific. At the same time, since 2013, when the article on “Promoting non-traditional sexual relations among minors” was introduced into the Code of Administrative Offenses, homosexuality began to be treated even more strictly. For example, if in 2013 only 13% of respondents believed that homosexuality should be prosecuted by law, in 2015 this figure reached 18%.
Although it is customary to think that “unconventional” sexual relations in Russia have always disapproved, this is not entirely true. Historian Ira Roldugina notes that, until the 18th century, in Russia, in principle, there was no secular law regarding “sodomy”. In Europe, executions for homosexual relations were common both among men and among women - in Russia it is impossible to talk about such a scale of persecution. “However, the conclusion about specific tolerance towards same-sex practices would also be an exaggeration. It’s rather that homosexual sexuality did not conceal for church authorities a greater danger than sexuality in general, and, accordingly, did not attract special attention, like in Western Europe, "notes Roldugina.
Researchers are inclined to believe that after the introduction of Peter I of punishment for the “sodomy” of large-scale persecution for homosexuality, too, did not follow - although this issue still requires in-depth study. Punishments, of course, were - but to judge their scale is difficult. The situation changed only by the 19th century, with the spread of the idea of homosexuality as a disease - although there were still no high-profile trials like the European one.
Around the same period, homosexuality was also perceived as part of a person’s personality, and not just sexual practice; the idea of identity was finally formed by the XX century. In the 1920s, there was another powerful impetus to change: the Bolsheviks who came to power canceled the criminal article for “sodomy” - this fit well with the course of sexual liberation and the shaking of traditional gender roles. Historian Dan Healy believes that the Bolsheviks did not have a clear position on homosexuality: on the one hand, the Soviet elite and the medical community were tolerant towards it, on the other, Soviet psychiatrists considered it a bourgeois and aristocratic phenomenon that should die out with the relevant classes.
Russian homophobia in the form in which we know it today, originated relatively recently - already in the Stalin era. In 1933, criminal penalties for homosexual relations reappeared in the USSR (All-Union Decree entered into force on March 7, 1934), together with the ban on abortion and the complication of the divorce procedure. This conservative turn and determined the attitude towards homosexuality for a long time: the criminal prosecution of gays was only canceled after sixty years, in 1993.
"Neither in the 18th, nor in the 19th century was homosexuality in Russia surrounded by the horror, aversion and fear characteristic of the later period,” says Ira Roldugin. “I consider the 1930s to be a key element in shaping homophobia in Russia and these supposedly irrational feelings years, not only because in 1934 male homosexuality was again penalized, but also because, in general, the Stalinist gender policy was based on unification, body control and suppression of otherness at the most basic level. and never used totally, it was needed to create an atmosphere of fear, to discipline and to blackmail the secret services of those who fell. "
Jail
In the Stalin era, another event occurred that changed the attitude towards homosexual relationships. The era of the Gulag began: the inhabitants of the country faced not only mass arrests, but also the violence of men over men in camps - on previously unknown scales. The caste system that exists in prisons today is largely based on violence. Into the lower caste of the "lowered", or "roosters," get gay, as well as those who commit "unworthy" prisoner of misconduct - and who is punished for this with rape.
Why rape became the basis of the hierarchy is definitely difficult to say. In the book How to Survive in a Soviet Prison, for example, there is a version that until 1961 and the reform of the camp system, the rape of a man by a man was not used as punishment. The violence was allegedly an initiative from above and was supposed to help the administration maintain order. Another version is that violence affects prisoners so much because it makes them "non-men" in the eyes of other convicts. Finally, contrary to popular belief, rapists enjoy not the sexual acts, but the feeling of power over the victim and her helplessness — perhaps that is why violence is used to establish a hierarchy.
“Of course, violent same-sex relationships in prison existed in tsarist times, but the scale and evolution of these practices in the Stalinist Gulag differed from the previous order,” says Ira Roldugin. “Homosexuality in public consciousness and in practice closely connected with the system of humiliation, submission and violence At the same time, the camp administration, knowing full well what was going on behind the barbed wire, was in no hurry to take any action. This system of violence and fear was beneficial to camp officials, since in fact only ementirovala their power. "
Formally, in prison terms there is a law "*** do not punish" - that is, anal rape is prohibited. In practice, they are found, but rarely - instead, a man can be forced into oral sex, can touch his forehead or lips with a member. It is also said that those who blink, that they made cunnilingus a partner become "omitted" - this is also a "non-male" act.
The fear of the "gay" probably comes precisely from the prison system - here the "omission" is perceived almost as an infection transmitted by airborne droplets. You can become a “rooster” by greeting one of those “lowered” by the hand, using their dishes, sitting at their table or on their bench, doing some dirty work, which is reserved for the lowest caste. At the same time, “omission” is considered an indelible stain: even after being transferred to another prison, the “rooster” remains a “rooster” and must tell about this new environment - otherwise, when everything is revealed, cruel punishment will follow. This is very similar to the attitude towards homosexuality in everyday life and, as a result, of human sexuality in general. Many people treat it uncompromisingly: a person allegedly cannot ask questions about his own sexuality and try something new - otherwise he will forever become a "different category".
Homophobia and politics
Dan Healy believes that the term "traditional sex" is a post-Soviet invention: he did not meet it in use until 1991. "In fact, if by the Soviet period we understand the time when open public conversation about sex was almost impossible, then it is extremely difficult to understand what exactly modern politicians and public figures have in mind when they use the concept of" traditional sex, "he says - I don’t think that this is a simple borrowing of the slogans of the American right about “traditional family values.” It seems to me that this term has grown on Russian soil: it is rooted in nostalgia for the Soviet past - it only comes to mind in a distorted form. "
In modern Russia, attitudes toward homosexuality are also largely a political issue, at least because "the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" is prohibited by law. In fact, the possibility of prohibitions and restrictions was discussed earlier: in 2002-2003, after raising the age of sexual consent, the conservatives tried to change their attitude towards homosexuality - but without success. It was possible only in the early 2010s. The growing influence of the church, which traditionally opposes homosexual unions, played a significant role here - it turned out that the conversation about morality, religious and "family" values is much closer to society.
“Now protecting young people from dangerous information about“ non-traditional sexual relationships ”is acquiring a national dimension, that is, it distinguishes Russia from its neighbors - and especially from EU countries, where human rights and LGBT people are protected by law,” says Healy. It turns out a vicious circle: a legislative ban affects attitudes in society, and due to the fact that the activities of activists are limited, people cannot get adequate and complete information. Ignorance, in turn, causes even more fear.
Ban on feelings
Psychologist and gestalt therapist Natalya Safonova believes that in order to talk about the Russian men’s fear of something “gay”, it is also important to consider what the demands on them are made by society. Men should look masculine, they should be attracted only by women, they should have an active role in relationships and sex, and they should prefer “traditional” sexual practices.
“If a man for some qualities does not fit into the heteronormative matrix, he may experience public pressure, shame or guilt, even self-disgust,” Safonova said. “All this causes anxiety and many questions: do I remain a man if I want try anal sex in a host role? If I show feelings? Am I a man, if I like another man - or will I be equated with a woman (which in a patriarchal society is usually embarrassing and humiliating)? And if I want to hug a close friend, won't anyone see this hinting at “non-covenantity”? ... It’s much easier and more relaxed for the psyche to avoid these doubts - and push away everything that causes anxiety. "
According to the expert, it is also important that in a society focused on heteronormative values, most men have no experience other than heterosexual. "This difficulty for two men to be open to each other may not be associated with homophobia, but with a new situation for them, which gives rise to a lot of anxiety, like any other new situation," she says.
The restrictions that are supposedly necessary in order not to undermine masculinity extend not only to relationships and sex, but also to other areas of life. Fearing associations with “gay” things, men can avoid bright clothes, be shy to look after themselves and follow fashion, not to engage in “unmanly” creative professions or not to admit to anyone (and themselves) that they are actually against military aggression and would like to "defend the fatherland" and serve in the army.
In talking about Russian homophobia and in the fight against it, it is important to bear in mind that it is formed under the influence of many factors - and you cannot beat it by hitting just one point. “I don’t think that Russian men have any particular psychological traits that determine their homophobia,” says psychologist Alexander Serov. “The strong influence of prison culture, homophobic rhetoric by the authorities and the media, determine these sentiments. The presence of the law holds back educational activities of activists and friendly specialists. Reluctance to face aggression, and sometimes violence, restrains people from making their sexual orientation public. Personal acquaintance with the LGBT community - the best prevention of homophobia. In general, it goes not separately, but in a package with "traditional" values - and it does not matter in which country. "
Photo: Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons (1, 2, 3)
