Rescuing independent LGBT Russian language media

The Parni PLUS platform has been in existence since July 2008. Initially launched as a project of the LGBTQ+ service organization Phoenix Plus, it focused on LGBTQ+ sexual health. However, it quickly evolved into a socio-political media outlet.

Over the years, we have faced significant challenges:

•Inclusion in the “foreign agents” registry twice.

•Two website blockings in Russia.

•Three out of four of our journalists have been designated as foreign agents.

Despite these risks, our audience continues to grow, and the range of topics we cover expands.

Information Priorities for 2025

1.News from the LGBTQ+ community: Covering key developments and stories from around the world.

2.Physical and mental health of LGBTQ+ people: Sharing resources and advice to support well-being.

3.Support for LGBTQ+ initiatives: Highlighting community projects and achievements.

4.Interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals: Stories from those in Russia and in exile.

5.Legal information for LGBTQ+ people: Providing updates on rights and protections.

6.Representation of LGBTQ+ issues in the socio-political sphere: Advocating for visibility and equality.

7.Support for the anti-war movement: Highlighting voices advocating for peace.

8.Support for environmental initiatives: Fostering intersectional activism.

9.Collaboration with opposition politicians: Promoting dialogue on human rights and inclusion.

Achievements 3 month

•Telegram Growth: Our Telegram channel now has 30,000 subscribers, allowing us to reach a larger audience daily.

•Website Impact: Over the past year, we published 103 articles on our website, which received 1,245,000 unique views.

Thank You for Your Support

Your support enables us to continue this work every day. If you can subscribe to a monthly donation, it would significantly help us plan and sustain our efforts.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are building a better future for LGBTQ+ communities everywhere.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has intensified its repression against the LGBTQ+ community. Most queer media outlets in Russian have either shut down or changed their focus. In independent media, LGBTQ+ issues remain marginalized. Journalists are often discouraged by negative comments and a drop in viewership when mentioning LGBTQ+ topics. Queer individuals are frequently portrayed as victims of the regime rather than active participants in the discussion.

“Guys PLUS” operates at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and socio-political issues. We provide the LGBTQ+ community with news and support resources, highlighting the connection between the criminal invasion of Ukraine and queerphobic repression. Independent media turn to us for expertise on LGBTQ+ topics.

We plan to strengthen both of these positions and also begin working with opposition politicians. Currently, they often make queerphobic statements, but our invitations to interviews and inquiries will serve as a channel of communication with their future LGBTQ+ voters.

Our current publication priorities:

•Supporting the anti-war movement.

•Promoting the psychological well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals.

•Supporting LGBTQ+ initiatives working within the country.

•Providing legal information for LGBTQ+ people.

•Covering the situation around the adoption of new propaganda laws.

•Exposing hate speech by politicians and propagandists.

We are also growing our Telegram channel, which now has 26,000 subscribers. Thanks to your support, we continue our work every day.

Over this period, we have published 144 articles on our website. As of this report, these publications have been viewed by 1,015,000 unique visitors.

Thank you very much for your support of our work. If you are able to subscribe to a monthly donation, it would greatly help us, as it allows us to plan our work more effectively.