About this Event
In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court banned the "international LGBT movement" as extremist. There is no such organisation, no members list, no headquarters. Yet people are now going to Pr*son for belonging to it.
In this talk, Masha tells the story of queer life in Russia from the Soviet era to today: how a brief window of openness in the 1990s closed, how "gay propaganda" laws grew into criminal prosecutions, and what everyday life looks like for LGBTQ+ people living under that pressure. It goes beyond what you've seen in the news, to the people, the fear, the humour and the resistance that keeps going both inside Russia and in exile.
Speaker:
Masha Budryte is a London-based Russian queer activist and community organiser, and co-founder of Yasnaya Britannia, a community for queer people from Russia living in the UK and their allies. Yasnaya Britannia brings people together through community events, raises funds for LGBTQIA+ initiatives that support queer people in Russia, such as Coming Out (Выход), and speaks up through protest, media and advocacy work. Its best-known action is the annual dance protest outside the Russian Embassy in London on 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, where joy, visibility and solidarity become a form of resistance. Before Yasnaya Britannia, Masha volunteered as Operations, Events and Protest Coordinator at the Russian Democratic Society in London.
📅 Date & Time: 2pm - 3pm, Sunday 22 Nov 2026
📍Location: Basement, the Outsiders Gallery, 64 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XB
Please note that the basement venue is not wheelchair accessible.
🗣️ Language: English
Event venue & nearby stays
64 Stoke Newington Rd, 64 Stoke Newington Road, London, United Kingdom
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