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Too gay for Russia

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Too gay for Russia

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Content Too Gay for Russia
by
Erkka Mikkonen
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG
SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
May 2023
Acknowledgements
I want to thank Professor Dan Birman. He shared with me so much wisdom and
motivation, which helped me finish the documentary. I have been lucky to have an instructor
with solid professionalism and a human heart. I also want to express gratitude and appreciation
to Professor Sandy Tolan and Professor Larry P. Gross for being my thesis committee members.
To everyone from the University of Southern California, including staff members Victor
Figueroa, Megan Chao, and Susy Barkley, and my fellow students Andrew Dubbins and Jen
Byers, thank you for all the practical work and advice to complete my documentary. Thank you
to Aleksandr Ermoshkin and Miloslav Chemodanov, the documentary subjects, for being
incredibly cooperative and generous with time and sharing your vulnerable experiences with me.
Thanks to Professor Robert English and Olga Baranova for participating in the project with
expert interviews. And most of all, thank you to my loving spouse Fedor Ilichev, for being who
you are.
ii
Table of Contents
I. Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………....ii
II. Abstract……………………………………………………………………….iv
III. Introduction & Theoretical Background………………………………………1
IV . Chapter 1: Reflection……………………..…………………………………...5
V . Bibliography…………………………………………………………………..9
VI. Documentary Script……………………………………………………….….11
iii
Abstract
"Shut up or disappear!" This is the message that Russian lawmakers send to gender and
sexual minorities. LGTBQ+ rights have deteriorated significantly in Russia during the last
decade, and the country's invasion of Ukraine, beginning in February 2022, has accelerated
propaganda against 'non-traditional sexual relations,' as described by the Russian state. "Too Gay
For Russia'' is a documentary that follows two Russian LGBTQ+ individuals who fled their
home country because of the harassment and violence they had faced. On a broader scale, the
documentary examines how the Russian government uses 'traditional values' and homophobia as
part of its justification, to some extent, for the war of aggression in Ukraine.
1
1
Edenborg, E. (2022) Putin’s Anti-Gay War on Ukraine.
iv
Introduction & Theoretical Background
LGTBQ+ rights have deteriorated significantly in Russia during the last decade.
2
The
introduction of the Russian federal law "For the Purpose of Protecting Children from
Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values'' from 2013, or simply gay
propaganda law as referred to widely in the media, and later restrictions on the rights of gender
and sexual minorities have severely impacted the reality of LGBTQ+ life.
3
For example,
violence against LGBTQ+ individuals has grown considerably after the adoption of the gay
propaganda law.
4
As a consequence of the worsened attitudes toward 'non-traditional sexual
relations,' as described by the Russian state, LGBTQ+ individuals are fleeing their home
country.
5

The tightened attitudes toward sexual minorities are linked with the rise of popular
conservatism, which became more pronounced at the beginning of the 2010s.
6
Scholars see this
'conservative turn' as a policy pursued by President Vladimir Putin's administration in response
to widespread opposition protests in 2011 - 2012.
7
The massive demonstrations began with
opposition to parliamentary elections deemed fraudulent, then expanded to demands for Putin to
step down.
8
After these widespread protests demonstrated that the liberal middle class had
abandoned its support for the authorities, the Kremlin sought to secure its position by allying
itself more closely with the Orthodox Church.
9
Thereafter, since Putin's move from prime
minister back to the presidency in the spring of 2012, official Russia has elevated traditional,
9
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
7
Edenborg, E. (2021) ‘Traditional values’ and the narrative of gay rights as modernity: Sexual politics beyond polarization.
6
Shcherbak, A. (2022). Russia's "conservative turn" after 2012: evidence from the European Social Survey ORCID Icon.
5
Novitskaya, Alexandra (2021). Russian-speaking LGBTQ communities in the West.
4
Sergey Katsuba (2023) The Decade of Violence: A Comprehensive Analysis of Hate Crimes Against LGBTQ in Russia in the Era of the “Gay
Propaganda Law” (2010–2020), Victims & Offenders.
3
Kondakov, A., Shtorn, E. (2021) Sex, Alcohol, and Soul: Violent Reactions to Coming Out after the “Gay Propaganda” Law in Russian.
2
Morris, J., Garibyan, M. (2021) Russian Cultural Conservatism Critiqued: Translating the Tropes of ‘Gayropa’ and ‘Juvenile Justice’ in Everyday Life.
1
religious values to the forefront of its rhetoric.
10
Scherbak examines the European Social Survey
2010 - 2018 and concludes that the 'conservative turn' articulated by Putin's regime and promoted
by the state media generated a significant value shift in Russian society.
11
According to
Shcherbak, elements such as moral values, religiosity, loyalty to institutions of power, and
conformity to government reached their conservative peak in 2014, the same year Russia
annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and began actively supporting the military
operations in eastern Ukraine.
Researchers see the politics driven by conservative values broadly affecting the whole of
Russia impacting the country's domestic and foreign policy as well as economic life.
12
However,
at the center of Russian conservative populism is the idea of traditional values, which Russia
claims to defend from Europe, and the wider West, which the authorities portrayed as having
drifted into moral decay.
13
In the narrative conveyed by official Russia, the Kremlin fights
against 'decadent Western morality' by opposing the rights for gender and sexual minorities.
14
This narrative is used both for distinguishing Russia from Europe to construct Russian national
identity and for legitimizing the power in Russia to oppose the alleged external threat.
15
Edenborg states that homophobia, exacerbated by the politics promoting traditional values, is
also a geopolitical instrument and a means, among others, to justify Russia's war of aggression in
Ukraine. The same conclusion is also reached in another earlier study, which examines the use of
the derogatory term 'Gayropa' concerning Europe in the comments of Russian politicians and the
country's media about the West's role in Ukraine's Maidan revolution in 2013 - 2014.
16
16
Riabov, O., Riabova, T. (2014). The decline of Gayropa? How Russia intends to save the world.
15
Edenborg, E. (2022) Putin’s Anti-Gay War on Ukraine.
14
Ibid.
13
Wilkinson, C.. (2014) Putting “Traditional Values” Into Practice: The Rise and Contestation of Anti-Homopropaganda Laws in Russia.
12
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
10
Shcherbak, A. (2022). Russia's "conservative turn" after 2012: evidence from the European Social Survey ORCID Icon.
2
Therefore, Russia uses the issues of gender and sexuality as tools of boundary-making in both
national and international contexts.
17
Opposing LGBTQ+ rights helps Russia define its place as a
protector of 'traditional values' and a counter to the 'liberal West.'
18
Official Russia claims that the
West attempts to undermine Russia's sovereignty by supporting sexual and gender rights,
whereas 'non-traditional sexuality' is framed as a threat to Russia's national harmony.
19
Thus,
promoting traditional values is an ideological framework for Russia's regime to pursue its
military and security matters.
20
After Russia launched its major attack on Ukraine in February 2022 and as the war
dragged on, the repression of sexual minorities in Russia has somewhat intensified.
21
In
December 2022, Russia introduced a new version of its gay propaganda law, in which the
“promotion” of non-traditional sexual relations is now not only prohibited around minors but is
also banned for all citizens in public spaces.
22
Consequently, the new anti-LGBTQ+ law appears
to be more homophobic and restrictive. However, the law's context is different: Russia claims
more assertively that it is fighting not only Ukraine but also the West and its moral degradation
as President Putin stated on the day when he began his larger war against Ukraine in 2022.
23

The documentary "Too Gay for Russia" follows two Russian LGBTQ+ individuals who
fled their home country because of the homophobic politics driven by Putin's regime since the
beginning of the 2010s. The purpose of the documentary is not only to illustrate what it is like to
live in a country where the rights of gender and sexual minorities are trampled upon but also to
describe those feelings that force a person to leave their home. On a broader scale, the
documentary examines how the Russian government uses 'traditional values' and homophobia as
23
Address by the President of the Russian Federation. The K r e m lin.
22
Professor Robert English interviewed by Erkka Mikkonen, 12 Jan 2023.
21
Olga Baranova interviewed by Erkka Mikkonen, 18 Oct 2022.
20
Edenborg, E. (2022) Putin’s Anti-Gay War on Ukraine.
19
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
17
Edenborg, E. (2021) ‘Traditional values’ and the narrative of gay rights as modernity: Sexual politics beyond polarization.
3
part of its justification of the war of aggression in Ukraine. It is worth noting that Russia's war in
Ukraine and the fight against sexual minorities are both reasons that can motivate Russian
citizens to leave the country.
24
In the interviews with both main characters, it became clear that
Russia’s military actions in Ukraine are also an important reason they do not want to stay in their
country of birth. Furthermore, both main characters connected in their thoughts the worsened
attitudes LGBTQ+ community and Putin's aggressive foreign policy. In addition, "Too Gay for
Russia" shows how a regime that has become increasingly totalitarian uses homophobia to push
its power. At the same time, it reminds us that oppressing the rights of minorities may lead to the
weakening of democratic values in society as a whole.
25
This reminder is crucial in a time when
LGBTQ+ rights have been under attack in many parts of the world, including the United States.
25
Wilkinson, C.. (2014) Putting “Traditional Values” Into Practice: The Rise and Contestation of Anti-Homopropaganda Laws in Russia.
24
Olga Baranova interviewed by Erkka Mikkonen, 18 Oct 2022.
4
Chapter 1: Reflection
The concept to pursue a documentary of Russian LGBTQ+ refugees grew slowly during
my many years in Russia. I witnessed the conservative turn and the degeneration of gender and
sexual rights working in Russia as a foreign correspondent. I noticed this trend beginning in
2012, as I covered the legislative restrictions adopted in Russian regions and anti-gay oppression.
However, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the topic also touched me, personally. As a
gay man living in Russia, I experienced the worsening attitudes fueled by homophobic state
propaganda. I saw how many of my friends and acquaintances decided to leave the country
because of the abusive environment. Finally, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine sealed the
decision to pursue this documentary, “Too Gay for Russia.” The war has brought the idea of
Russia defending traditional values into the center of the Kremlin’s narrative. Therefore, I feel
that the topic is more relevant than ever.
After working for more than ten years as a foreign correspondent, I have some experience
producing, filming, and editing short video content. Still, most of the time, I have worked with a
videographer. However, I have never made such a long documentary, and this time I pursued it
by myself and for the first time in English. I believe that my previous work experience was very
helpful in making “Too Gay for Russia.” Nevertheless, when I traveled to New York last fall, to
film with a video camera I had only turned it on a couple of times, I felt worried. I did not have
much experience in filming itself, but I had been preparing for months – this first videography
trip was a real test. I familiarized myself with the topic by reading background literature about
LGBTQ+ issues, carefully planning a story arc and shot list. The preparation paid off, as I was
able to shoot almost all the needed footage in just two trips: one to New York and another to San
Francisco. The relatively early filming of the footage had both advantages and disadvantages. On
5
one hand, I had time to process the interviews of the two main characters. Organizing the
interview footage, in a total of nearly six hours, took a long time, not least because I had to use
two foreign languages – Russian and English. On the other hand, I did not get as much
instruction in videography as many others in my group because I had already finished filming by
the beginning of the spring semester. In total, it took ten months to complete the documentary.
I aimed to draw as truthful and diverse a picture of the Russian LGTBQ community as
possible. Although two individuals do not define the entire community, I consciously chose the
subjects to represent regions of Russia where the reality of being gay varies fundamentally. In
Moscow, the urban capital of Russia, LGBTQ+ life has always been freer than other parts of the
country. I found it essential that both characters share different experiences of the rise of anti-gay
attitudes. Aleksandr Ermoshkin was attacked on the street in Khabarovsk, Russian Far East, and
was a target of a plot by Russia’s Federal Secret Service (FSB). Meanwhile, Miloslav
Chemodanov had not experienced physical violence or any other extreme harassment in
Moscow. Chemodanov, however, chose to escape Russia on the same day the war of aggression
in Ukraine began. His story ties in the Kremlin’s narrative of fighting the ‘decadent West’ to the
documentary.
While I made this documentary, both characters were in the process of applying for
asylum, although Ermoshkin arrived in the United States in 2015. The Biden Administration
suspended deportations to Russia in March 2022.
26
However, The Guardian exclusively reported
in March 2023 that a young Russian citizen was abruptly deported from the U.S. back to
Russia.
27
Currently, the future of deportations from the U.S. to Russia remains unclear. In my
work, I wanted to focus mainly on Russia and not go into too much detail about the asylum
27
Bekiempis, V . (2023) Biden administration quietly resumes deportations to Russia.
26
Montoya-Galvez, C. (2022) U.S. suspends deportations to Ukraine, Russia and 7 other European countries, citing "humanitarian crisis".
6
process in the United States.
Initially, I wanted to bring more diversity to the story by interviewing journalist and
author Masha Gessen and artist Nadya Tolokonnikova from Pussy Riot as my expert voices.
However, both declined, so I interviewed Professor Robert English from USC and Olga
Baranova from Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives. Both experts were
informative, and I am delighted with their contribution.
My understanding of a video documentary as a form of journalism developed significantly
during the project. I have learned how essential pacing is in long-form audiovisual work. Pauses
allow the viewer to rest and dive deeper into the story. I have also learned how the longer form of
documentaries requires more planning to complete them efficiently. Despite the instructor's great
help, I made the more than 30-minute documentary almost entirely alone. The most challenging
part of the work was filming, in which I had less experience. Although I am somewhat satisfied
with the footage, it could have ideally been improved. I believe that video shooting is a skill that
needs to be developed for years to come, and I'm just at the beginning of my journey.
Watching the complete documentary, I am overall satisfied with it. I think "Too Gay for
Russia'' is both emotional and informative, while giving as truthful a picture of the state of the
Russian LTBQ+ community. Making such an exposed and forthcoming documentary concerning
the Russian LGTBQ+ in today's Russia would be highly challenging. The expanded gay
propaganda law would make the community members even more afraid to participate in a
project like this. Moreover, as Russia continues its war in Ukraine, Putin's regime has tightened
its grip on opponents of those in power.
28
Thus, any public speaking out against the Kremlin's
politics is more likely to get punished than before. However, "Too Gay for Russia'' does not talk
only about Russia; it also deals more generally with the pressure that LGBTQ+ rights are under
28
McCarthy, L.A., Rice, D., Lokhmutov, A. (2023). Four Months of "Discrediting the Military": Repressive Law in Wartime Russia.
7
today. According to the principles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human
rights are indivisible and interdependent, meaning that one group of rights cannot be fully
benefited without the other.
29
This also applies to gender and sexual rights.
29
What are human rights? O H C H R.
8
Bibliography
Address by the President of the Russian Federation. The Kr emlin. Published online 24 Feb 2022:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67843
Bekiempis, V . (2023) Biden administration quietly resumes deportations to Russia. The Guar dian.
Published online 18 March 2023:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/18/biden-administration-russia-deportatio
ns
Edenborg, E. (2022) Putin’s Anti-Gay War on Ukraine. Boston Review. Published online 14 March
2022: https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/putins-anti-gay-war-on-ukraine/
Edenborg, E. (2023) ‘Traditional values’ and the narrative of gay rights as modernity: Sexual
politics beyond polarization. Sexualities, 26(1–2), p.37–53.
Montoya-Galvez, C. (2022) U.S. suspends deportations to Ukraine, Russia and 7 other European
countries, citing "humanitarian crisis". CBS News. Published online 3 March 2022:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-ice-deportations-suspended/
Morris, J., Garibyan, M. (2021) Russian Cultural Conservatism Critiqued: Translating the Tropes
of ‘Gayropa’ and ‘Juvenile Justice’ in Everyday Life. Eur ope-Asia Studies, 73:8,
p.1487-1507.
Katsuba, S. (2023) The Decade of Violence: A Comprehensive Analysis of Hate Crimes
Against LGBTQ in Russia in the Era of the “Gay Propaganda Law” (2010–2020). V ictims
& Offenders. Published online 06 Feb 2023:
https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2023.2167142
Kondakov, A., Shtorn, E. (2021) Sex, Alcohol, and Soul: Violent Reactions to Coming Out after
the “Gay Propaganda” Law in Russian. The Russian r eview (Stanford), 2021, V ol.80 (1),
p.37-55.
McCarthy, L.A., Rice, D., Lokhmutov, A. (2023). Four Months of "Discrediting the Military":
Repressive Law in Wartime Russia. Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet
Democratization, 31(2), p.125-160.
Novitskaya, A. (2021). Russian-speaking LGBTQ communities in the West. In K. Fábián, J. E.
Johnson, M. Lazda (Ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Gender in Central-Eastern Eur ope
and Eurasia. London: Routledge.
Riabov, O., Riabova, T. (2014). The decline of Gayropa? How Russia intends to save the world.
Eur ozine. Published online 05 April 2014:
https://www.eurozine.com/the-decline-of-gayropa/
9
Shcherbak, A. (2022). Russia's "conservative turn" after 2012: evidence from the European Social
Survey ORCID Icon. Published online 06 Jun 2022:
https://www-tandfonline-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/doi/full/10.1080/21599165.2022.208407\
Wilkinson, C. (2014) Putting “Traditional Values” Into Practice: The Rise and Contestation of
Anti-Homopropaganda Laws in Russia, Journal of Human Rights, 13:3, p.363-379.
What are human rights? OHCHR. Published online:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/what-are-human-rights
1 0
Documentary Script
PROLOGUE
NAT Sound:
Sewing machine (close up)
Music from Storyblocks begins:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/chasi
ng-a-criminal-346701664.html
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 09:12)
Ermoshkin showing the craft (closeup)
I was fired from the school and
the university because of this law.
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 19:30)
Mobile phone on hand (close up)
Chemodanov riding a bus
Ordinary people, they’re subject to
propaganda, state media. They hear how bad
gay lifestyle is. They hear horror stories,
diseases.
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 27:12)
Gays are worse than drug addicts.
NAT Sound: People singing in a gay bar in
Moscow (archival from Chemodanov)
VO Miloslav Chemodanov (Clip0001:
People say that there’s no gay community in
Russia but I saw it.
TEXT CARD:
In 2013,
Russia adopts
a nationwide anti-gay law.
Source:
Russia’s Putin signs anti-gay measures into
law. AP News. Published online 30 June 2013:
https://apnews.com/article/039d47c28787483d
94806968b1dd5d79
1 1
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 19:30)
A face of a plastic figure (closeup)
Ermoshkin standing a garage.
There is no doubt that it has encouraged some
anti-gay brutality.
SOT/VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN4: 12:50)
Ermoshkin after the attack (archival from
Radio Liberty)
They can fire me,
beat me on the street, kill me - whatever.
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
A flying missile (archival)
The war, militarization, a new battle against
LGBT.
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 20:45)
Pro-Ukrainian protest in New York
“Russia is a terrorist state” sign (closeup)
Putin has cast his invasion of Ukraine as a
larger apocalyptic even confrontation with the
west.
VO/SOT VLADIMIR PUTIN (archival
material from the Kremlin 02/24/2022)
They sought to destroy our traditional values
and force on us their false values that would
destroy us.
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 20:45)
Make America gay again sign (closeup)
Street view in New York gay district
A mannequin in a wrestling suit (close up)
They are in a state of degradation. They have
lost their moral compass, and we must fight
against that.
TEXT CARD:
Russia’s war in Ukraine
has accelerated the oppression.
LGBTQ+ individuals are fleeing Russia.
Source:
Ruck, I. (2023) Russians flee a hostile
homeland. Deutsche W elle. Published online 14
March 2023:
1 2
https://www.dw.com/en/russians-flee-a-hostile-
homeland/video-64880976
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 34:28)
Ermoshkin’s face when sewing (closeup)
I chose a foreign land over prison or a grave.
VO/SOT VLADIMIR PUTIN (archival
material from the Kremlin 02/24/2022)
Because it is contrary to human nature.
TEXT CARD:
TOO GAY FOR RUSSIA
Music fades out.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 51:04)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 48:59)
A tree (closeup)
Relieving Ermoshkin in the forest
Ermoshkin touching a tree (closeup)
A tree
I grew up in the taiga.
What I miss the most is probably work. I miss
work. I miss the places I left, where I grew up,
where I put down my roots.
VO/SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 48:32)
Ermoshkin walking away from the tree.
Ermoshkin walking (closeup on feet(
If there was no war. If there wasn’t a war
against LGBT people. If there wasn’t a war
against Ukraine, I would still live in
Khabarovsk. I would teach at school and at the
university.
SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 48:52)
I would collect a herbarium in the taiga.
TEXT CARD
In 2013, Russia adopted
its “gay propaganda law.”
It prohibits promoting to minors
“non-traditional sexual
relationships.”
1 3
Source:
Russia: Reject Discriminatory Bill. Human
Right W atch. Last updated online 01 July 2013:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/23/russia-r
eject-discriminatory-bill
NAT Sound
Oakland from the window of a train.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 09:13)
Ermoshkin walking to his work place
I was fired from the school from the university
because of the gay propaganda law.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 11:22)
Ermoshkin opening the door, entering a garage,
and taking a piece of leather.
A scissors and a trash bin (closeup)
Ermoshkin cutting the leather (closeup)
Ermoshkin cutting the leather
On June 23, this law was adopted. Summer is
in full swing. I come home between botany
trips and one of my roommates says: “They
came to the bank to collect signatures for my
dismissal.”
NAT Sound
(Clip0079)
Ermoshkin placing the cut leather to a table
A detail!
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 12:16)
Ermoshkin folding leather
They began to collect signatures to send a
letter of protest to the Ministry of Education of
Khabarovsk complaining that openly gay
people work at school and promote LGBT.
NAT sound
(Clip0079)
Ermoshkin showing leather
Sometimes when new leather arrives,
you open it up and think, who was it?
It was not a cow but a dinosaur.
1 4
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 01:04:09)
A face of a plastic figure (closeup)
Ermoshkin exiting the garage
Balls of yarn (closeup)
Ermoshkin sitting in front of the sewing
machine
Ermoshkin putting yarn to the machine
I work in a small business sewing accessories,
costumes in the style of Burning man festivals
or something like that.
NAT sound
Ermoshkin sitting in front of the sewing
machine
Sawing machine (closeup)
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 20:45)
The original Russian law passed in 2013, this
sort of law against propaganda, they called it,
or promotion of homosexual lifestyle was
aimed at minors. Right. So that's not so
different than these so-called don't say gay
laws passed in the state of Florida.
SOT Olga Baranova, Moscow Community
Center for LGBT+ Initiatives
(Clip0207: 03:45)
It was the most discriminatory law adopted.
Afterward, everything kept spiraling
downward, worse and worse.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 00:12:45)
Ermoshkin sitting in front of the sewing
machine
Ermoshkin sewing (closeup)
Back in 2012 the director of the school
changed. I went to see her and said that I am
an LGBT activist: We annually do a televised
protest.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 13:20)
Balls of yarn (closeup)
Ermoshkin sitting in front of the sewing
machine
She told me that this is your personal life. “We
value you as a teacher and we don’t want you
to quit.”
NAT sound
(Clip0075)
Ermoshkin winding leather and placing it to
box
A pancake!
1 5
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 14:12)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 15:19)
Ermoshkin touching balls of yarn (closeup)
But they began to put pressure on the director.
Before the first of September she got a call
from the department of education. They said to
her in a very harsh form: either you fire this
teacher, or we fire you.
NAT sound
Ermoshkin trying an accessory
Ermoshkin trying an accessory (close up)
Cat
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 22:16)
Ermoshkin exiting the house
I did not discuss it at school. As a teacher of
geography I didn’t have any reasons to talk
about LGBT issues with my pupils.
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 10:55)
Ermoshkin exiting the house (outside)
There may be a school teacher who is gay. And
they get targeted and the parents are
emboldened to file a case to, you know, drop a
petition to demand the teacher be fired and
people lose their jobs in that way.
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
NAT sound
Protest against homophobia in Russia
(archival)
TEXT CARD:
In the Russian Far East,
people released balloons on
International Day Against
Homophobia in 2015.
Source:
Armitage, S. (2015) Russian Activist Beaten
En Route To LGBT Rights Protest. Buzzfeed
News. Published online 17 May 2015:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/susiear
mitage/russian-activist-beaten-en-route-to-lgbt-
rights-protest
1 6
Music fading out.
SOT/VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 35:49)
Ermoshkin attacked at the protest against
homophobia (archival)
I leave the car, take the balloons, and walk a
few steps. From the next vehicle a person gets
out.
He has brass knuckles.
SOT/VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 36:46)
(Clip0095: 37:02)
(Clip0095: 37:36)
Ermoshkin attacked at the protest (archival)
A blow to my head knocks me out.I lose
consciousness, and he leaves.
This happens in front of the city administration
representatives and my friends.
An ambulance comes for me, and the police
arrive. They didn't find anyone. The purpose
was not to find anyone.
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 10:55)
A man biking
A man biking (closeup)
A plant (closeup)
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
This law sends a signal to society in general
that it's okay to discriminate, that we are
against LGBT rights, that we're against
anything nontraditional. There's no doubt that
it has encouraged some anti-gay brutality.
NAT sound
Ermoshkin picking nuts in the forest
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 15:45)
(Clip0095: 16:55)
(Clip0095: 19:40)
Ermoshkin picking nuts
Ermoshkin showing nuts (close up)
2 photos of young Ermoshkin (archival)
Music fading out.
Imagine a teenager in an industrial city in the
Russian Far East. And at one point, you
suddenly realize that the most horrible thing
happened to you.
It was sixth grade. I think I was 12 years old.
1 7
NAT sound
Ermoshkin showing nuts
(Clip0030)
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
What mushrooms are you finding? No, it’s bay
nut!
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 18:05)
A man bicycling.
Ermoshkin picking nuts
Music fading out.
I could say that I’m not homophobic but it's
still there. It's poured into you. And you will
fight it all your life.
NAT sound
Picked nuts (closeup)
Ermoshkin opening a nut.
The nut is inside. These halves are roasted.
Then they are grinded into flour or granola.
Creame, sugar and butter are added to make
chocolate or nutella.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 01:40)
(Clip0095: 02:30)
(Clip0095: 03:31)
Trees in the forest
Ermoshkin picking nuts
Nuts (closeup)
A plant
Ermohskin putting nuts to a plastic bag
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
In 2009, I became a gay activist on
International Day Against Homophobia.
We came up with a very modest protest:
releasing balloons.
Back then we still thought about the future
and that everything would only get better.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(Clip0095: 11:12)
(Clip0095: 25:33)
Music fading in
Plants
Ermoshkin walking with plastic bags
A nut bush
Ermoshkin opening car’s tailgate
In 2015, neo-Nazi groups said
they would not let us organize the event.
They threatened to attack us.
I had long understood that these
neo-fascist groups are linked with the cops.
1 8
NAT sound
Driving a car
Music fading in louder
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN4: 11:19)
(ERMOSHKIN4: 12:30)
Ermohskin stands next to the car on the top of
the hill
Ermohskin stands (closeup)
The view from the hill (pan)
The view from the hill (closeup)
Ermoshkin walking to the edge
My government comes after me using articles
of the Criminal and Administrative Codes.
I feel that the state allows others to interpret
this law in every possible way:
Fire me, beat me on the street, kill me -
whatever.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN4: 06:22)
Ermoshkin standing (tilt)
There have already been acquittals for murders
of gays.
SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN4: 06:49)
Music fading out.
It remains only to wait for the growth in
numbers.
NAT sound
Bridge in New York
Bridge in New York (closeup)
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 00:06)
Chemodanov walking on the street
I am Miloslav Chemodanov, journalist, DJ,
gay activist, openly gay.
19
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:24)
(Clip0001: 05:17)
Chemodanov walking on the street
I was afraid for a long time and didn’t even tell
my closest friends that I was gay, because I
thought that everyone
treats gays as a mistake of nature.
And now they pump up it
even more through the state television.
They are trying harder to make it clear
that LGBT is not the norm..
SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 05:50)
..that gays should hide, and not stick out.
Otherwise, they will punish you
for the audacity to say you are gay.
NAT sound
Chemodanov waiting for a bus
SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 25:40)
Chemodanov waiting for a bus
Bus coming
I came out to my mother when I was 39. Now
I’m 43.
NAT sound
Chemodanov entering the bus
SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 12:40)
Miloslav sitting in the bus
Miloslav holding mobile phone (closeup)
But I wasn't sure of my mother's reaction.
Because she is an elderly person living in
a small town in the Urals and she watches TV .
NAT sound
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/all-m
y-sadness-disappears-346809048.html
A photo of Chemodanov and his mom
(archival)
2 0
SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 17:48)
Clip0001: 18:30)
Chemodanov sitting in the bus
Chemodanov sitting in the bus (closeup)
Mom’s reaction was strange. She answered
something like: “I’m very worried. I don't
know what to do.”
“But I read on the Internet that people can be
cured.”
NAT sound
Chemodanov sitting in the bus
Music fading in louder
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 18:48)
Chemodanov sitting in the bus
I weighed everything and realized that there
was nothing so directly negative in her letter.
She is not ashamed of me, she does not refuse
me.
NAT sound
Chemodanov standing and walking in the
center of NYC
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 23:44)
(Clip0001: 23:52)
Chemodanov walking in NYC.
Chemodanov walking in NYC. (closeup)
She is, of course, a worried mother.
But when it comes to my homosexuality
she breathes a little easier now.
NAT sound
Chemodanov walking in NYC.
A detail of a bus
Music fading out
2 1
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 26:06)
(Clip0001: 26:31)
(Clip0001: 27:16)
Chemodanov walking in the rain.
A street view.
Chemodanov walking (closeup on feet)
Rainbow flags (closeup)
Chemodanov walking in the rain.
Music from Storyblocks fading:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/all-m
y-sadness-disappears-346809048.html
I also have three sisters.
As of now, I have told two of them.
One of them took it very calmly.
But the other did not.She still cannot accept it
all.
She says: “Gays are worse than drug addicts.”
“You're not like that.
It's because you went to Europe.”
“Europe made you gay.
In fact, you have always been a normal boy.”
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 19:30)
Music fading in louder
NYC bridge by night
NYC bridge by night (closeup, off focus)
And ordinary people, you know, they're
subject to propaganda, state media. They hear
how bad gay lifestyle is. They hear horror
stories of disease, of children destroyed from,
you know, having gay parents.
SOT/VO Olga Baranova, Moscow community
center for LGBTQ initiatives
(Clip0207: 17:40)
Buildings in a night time
For many people these concepts are mixed:
They think that a pedophile and a homosexual
are the same. It’s something connected with
children and violence. Many don’t have the
slightest desire
to make sense of this topic.
NAT sound
Chemodanov entering a friend’s flat
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 02:22)
Drinks (closeup)
People gathered in a flat
Chemodanov chatting with friends
Chemodanov chatting (closeup)
When I began to travel more from Russia to
some other places, I was surprised to see that
people can walk holding hands, kiss, and hug.
Each time it was more difficult to return to
Russia after experiencing freedom.
That’s why every time, I opened up a bit more.
2 2
NAT sound
Chemodanov chatting with a friend
• I love this song!
• I played a lot at my parties.
• When Russia invaded Ukraine I was
playing..
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 03:12)
A cat
Then I realized that I could help people open
up and inspire them by organizing parties.
TEXT CARD:
Miloslav Chemodanov ran
a queer disco in Moscow
from 2012 to 2022.
NAT sound
Chemodanov playing in a club in Moscow
(archival)
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/half-
of-your-heart-347011580.html
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 49:00)
(Clip0001: 54:57)
Chemodanov playing in a club in Moscow
(archival)
People in a club (archival)
People say that there is no gay community in
Russia, but I saw it. I saw how Britney Spears
and dances create some kind of community for
gays.
I'm proud of my club.It was a place where
people could feel secure.
NAT sound
NYC bridge by night
Chemodanov exiting friend’s flat to the street
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 55:14)
A street view of rainy NYC
Chemodanov walking on the street with friends
and entering a gay bar
I also began to provoke people a bit.
I deejayed wearing a dress to show
that you don't have to look like you're told,
that even in Russia you can do it.
And next time half a dozen guys came to the
party wearing dresses. So gay propaganda
work!
2 3
NAT sound
Chemodanov inside the gay bar
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 55:14)
Drag queens on the stage
A mirror ball
A drag queen performing
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/come
dy-background-quirky-jazz-r0l5w5wi_knee1s1
c.html
But many of them live another life outside the
club. They cannot admit being gay at work or
introduce their boyfriends to their families.
They have to go through
a lot of things that I went through.
NAT sound
A drag queen performing
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 20:05)
(Clip0003: 14:10)
Golden Gate Bridge in SF
A fisherman on the beach
The fisherman walking to the water
A wave
The fisherman walking from the water
So the first anti-gay laws back in 2013 //
It's coming from national circles. It's coming
from the Russian Orthodox Church.
And Putin decided to take advantage of that.
And he probably calculated: I can't resist this.
It's a wave. Let me ride this wave and get in
front of it, make it my issue, and make it part
of my defense of traditional Russia against the
decadent West because it fed into, of course,
his larger foreign policy narrative as it
developed over that decade.
TEXT CARD:
In November 2013,
Aleksandr Ermoshkin
decides to flee Russia.
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
2 4
SOT/VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 30:48)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 32:48)
Train arriving to a station
Ermoshkin’s house
Ermoshkin entering his house
Why did I decide to leave anyway?
First, during 2013, I lost two of my favorite
jobs. I was banned from teaching anywhere.
Then there was persecution by neo-Nazi
groups. All the walls in my yard were covered
with graffiti like “Ermoshkin is a faggot” and
so on.
NAT sound
(Clip0072)
Ermoshkin cooking crepes
A crepe on the pan (closeup)
Comfort food. It is one of the first unnecessary
words that I learned.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 33:40)
Ermoshkin cooking
Secondly, I knew that the Federal Security
Service had a case against me. They were
trying to gather evidence of espionage against
me.
If you are not a spy, how can they make up that
you are one?
SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 34:08)
Excuse me, but in Russia it can certainly
happen. I chose a foreign land over prison or a
grave, and I made the decision in November.
NAT sound
A kettle
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN1: 38:00)
(ERMOSHKIN1: 38:25)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 06:35)
Ermoshkin getting the kettle and pouring hot
water.
Sour cream (closeup)
There’s one more very unpleasant moment I
need to share:
An organized TV shoot alleged that we were
traitors and foreign agents, who attempted a
revolution
with balloons and colorful flags.
2 5
NAT sound
Ermoshkin in the kitchen
The house outside
Music from Storyblocks fading in:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN1: 39:05)
The house outside (closeup)
Eroshkin climbing stairs and entering a room
Shelves
A teddy bear (closeup)
Ermoshkin showing a book
I get a call from an unknown number. A
woman tells me that she’s calling from the
U.S. Embassy. “We know that you intend to
leave, and therefore,
you must urgently meet with us in Moscow.”
NAT sound
Ermoshkin showing a rug he is sewing
Balls of yarn (closeup)
In March, it will be two years since I sewed
this.
I don’t sew it everyday, of course.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN2: 11:24)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 12:57)
Ermoshkin sewing
Ermoshkin sewing (closeup)
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
I doubted from the very first call. Doubts,
doubts, doubts. They began to use threats.They
said that I would not be let out of the country
without their help. She was able to convince
me.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN1: 39:05)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 02:00)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 06:06)
A scissors (closeup)
Ermoshkin putting his work on table (closeup)
Ermoshkin touching his work
The sewed detail (closeup)
I accepted their proposal. They bought me a
ticket and I flew to Moscow.
I'm going to this meeting and I feel very tense.
I see that they are going to film me.
It was a plot by the Federal Security Service.
They showed it on state TV .
2 6
NAT sound
(Clip004)
Ermoshkin getting and opening a file
Ermoshkin showing documents
Close up of the document
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/a-gli
mmer-of-hope-hufxipysrk2xlhq9b.html
Let’s see what is here in this file.
This is what Amnesty International writes
about me.
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN2: 05:26)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 07:48)
(ERMOSHKIN2: 09:09)
Books (closeup)
Ermoshkin showing old news papers
News article (closeup)
They made me out to be a fool, telling a story
about how to recruit a person.
Then they showed the country:
“Here is what a gay man looks like!”
“He chose to be gay. Now he wants to
overthrow our government.”
NAT sound
A missile launched (archival)
TEXT CARD:
February 2022. Russia begins its
war of aggression in Ukraine.
Putin claims to battle among
other things for traditional values.
Address by the President of the Russian
Federation. The Kr emlin. Published online
24 Feb 2022:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/
67843
2 7
SOT/VO VLADIMIR PUTIN (archival
material from the Kremlin 02/24/2022)
People escaping shelling in Eastern Ukraine
(archival)
They sought to destroy our traditional values
and force on us their false values that would
erode us. The attitudes they have been
aggressively imposing on their countries, the
attitudes that are directly leading to
degradation and degeneration, are contrary to
human nature.
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 20:45)
A pro-Ukranian protest in New York
A protester with Russia is a terrorist state sign.
Protesters cover in Ukrainian flags
A sign of Putin going to a trash bin
Putin has cast his invasion of Ukraine, his war,
not just as a matter of security, something to
defend against NATO's, something to defend
Russian speakers in the Donbas or Crimea. But
he's cast it as a larger apocalyptic, even
confrontation with the West.
NAT sound
Protesters singing the Ukrainian anthem
Russia is a terrorist state sign (closeup)
Singing protesters (closeup)
VO/SOT Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 21:15)
That brings in this sense that they are
declining, they are in a state of degradation.
They have lost their moral compass, and we
must fight against that.
NAT sound
NYC by water
SOT/VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 59:50)
NYC street view
Chemodanov’s flat
I was sleeping and Arkasha woke me up early
in the morning and said it had begun. The
outbreak of war was a shock but,
fortunately, we had already made a plan.
NAT sound
Chemodanov packing clothes, boyfriend sitting
on the bed.
2 8
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 56:50)
(Clip0001: 57:21)
Chemodanov packing clothes.
Getting a handbag from a closet
The handbag (closeup)
When we had been already for quite a long
time together with Arkasha we began to
discuss that we would like to leave the country.
We wanted to leave the abusive environment
and live somewhere where you can breathe
more freely.
NAT sound
Chemodanov showing a dress
I wore this to a club a couple of times.
It is gay propaganda.
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 42:58)
Chemodanov and his boyfriend packing stuff.
Bottles (close up)
Arkasha with clothes hangers
Chemodanov closing a suitcase
If before there were some hopes
that your efforts could change something,
when the war began, it became obvious that
they are moving to a completely new level. It
would not only be worse in
the relations with Ukraine, but also with
LGBT. They would tighten the screws on all
fronts.
NAT sound
A cat walking
The cat (close up)
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 41:00)
(Clip0001: 41:18)
Chemodanov and his boyfriend packing stuff
It's like a war for traditional values
We see now how, alongside military operations
and failures on the front, more stringent
anti-LGBT laws are being
adopted and discussed in Russia.
It’s not a coincidence. It's a cleansing.
TEXT CARD: December 2022, Russia makes
its gay propaganda law more severe.
Source:
Russian Federation, Events of 2022. Human
Right W atch. Published online:
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/countr
y-chapters/russian-federation
29
VO Professor Robert English
(Clip0003: 08:15)
(Clip0003: 23:20)
Rainbow accessories (closeup)
A street view in NYC
A mannequin in a wrestling suit (closeup)
A street view
Spread love, not bullets poster (closeup)
A street view
Make America gay again flag (closeup)
A street view
It's no longer just protecting minors or
protecting schoolchildren, but it's explicitly
against promoting nontraditional sexual
practices in public.
So this new law becomes part of that. It's
pulled into this war as a central necessary
battle that must be fought and won. Otherwise,
what is left of Russia, they say, some kind of
strange, degraded copy of a western country
that's lost its soul. That's how Putin, that's how
his regime is justifying the new law.
NAT sound
NYC subway in the station
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:00:57)
Subway doors closing (closeup)
Chemodanov riding a subway
Train going on a bridge
Shooting from the train to the river
Chemodanov riding a subway
Chemodanov riding a subway (closeup)
That same morning we bought
flights and began our journey.
We didn’t have U.S. visas so we went to
Mexico to seek asylum at the border.
According to the law you can hand your
passport to an officer at passport control and
ask for asylum.They do not have the right to
expel you, instead they are obliged to study
your case.
NAT sound
Outside an attorney’s office.
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:05:12)
Chemodanov entering the attorney’s office
Chemodanov entering a room with the
attorney.
A stand for mobile phone (closeup)
But it is not simple,
because Trump dug up the so-called Title 42.
It’s a document from the 40s that allows
officers to turn people away before the border,
because they can be carriers of dangerous
diseases.
3 0
TEXT CARD:
Between 2020 and 2023,
authorities used Title 42
to expel over two and a half million
migrants at the Mexican border.
Source:
Nationwide Encounters. U.S. Custom and
Bor der Pr otection. Last Modified 14 April
2023:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwi
de-encounters
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:06:00)
(Clip0001: 01:06:32)
(Clip0001: 01:06:50)
Chemodanov setting the mobile stand
A Russian doll
Chemodanov and attorney chatting
Law books (closeup)
The attorney listening
The attorney making notes (closeup)
Chemodanov and attorney chatting
The mobile in the stand
Officers check documents - like a driver’s
license, a green card, or a visa - at the border.
And they can turn you back before you get to
the passport control booth to ask for asylum.
With a car, it’s simpler, because you
can wave random documents through the
glass.There can be a sleepy officer, not paying
attention to what’s in your hands, or just letting
you go.
It happens very rarely, but it happens. That’s
what desperate people try to do.
NAT sound with MARINA SHEPELSKY , law
attorney
(Clip185)
law books (closeup)
Why did you decide to run away on February
24? Why did you decide that now there will be
a war on Western values?
- Because there were already all the
prerequisites for this.
VO/SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:08:42)
(Clip0001: 01:10:19)
Chemodanov leaving the attorney’s office
The sign of the office (closeup)
Street view
As a result, we made our way
to this very booth for the tenth time. We spent
three weeks in Tijuana.
We had six different hotels. We collected all
our things and drove to the border but they
turned us around time and again.
It was really scary. Without antidepressants I
would have lost my mind.
3 1
NAT sound
Sunset on NY river
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/all-m
y-sadness-disappears-346809048.html
VO Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:42:32)
I’m concerned about the mental health of gays
in Russia now. Even before, we were living
under constant threat in a very traumatic
society. Now, with the war and the
militarization there is a new round of fighting
against LGBT, and departures. It is very
difficult.
SOT Miloslav Chemodanov
(Clip0001: 01:19:00)
I have seen Russia many times in my life
and I think I can live without seeing it again
NAT sound
Golden Gate SF
TEXT CARD:
Aleksandr Ermoshkin arrived in the U.S. to
seek asylum in 2015.
VO/SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 40:07)
Golden Gate SF (closeup)
I remember the first time when we went
with friends to a club in San Francisco.
Imagine a gay club! Fun!
VO/SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 41:03)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 41:40)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 43:52)
On Castro street (SF’s queer neighborhood)
Castro theater (closeup)
Love over Hate sign (closeup)
Street view
People walking on the street
LGBTQ+ flags
I arrived and realized that it wasn’t my thing.I
don't understand what’s happening: loud music
and people, and everything
felt just strange to me. I remember how I
couldn’t be there, I needed to get on the sofa. I
just lay face to the wall at least for a day.
That was my first depression.
Depressions seem to be returning, but they are
more seasonal. It’s still not easy.
3 2
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 57:02)
(ERMOSHKIN3: 57:45)
SF Bridge on sunset
Sunset over SF
Music from Storyblocks:
https://www.storyblocks.com/audio/stock/gentl
e-documentary-piano-roi_-slywkcaio0x7.html
In Russia I had practically no personal life.
I only had a public life. Here I have a lot going
on in my personal life.
It is like a different universe.
NAT sound
Sunset over SF
Ermoshkin exiting his house
VO Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 01:07:00)
A tree (closeup)
Ermoshkin walking in the park
Leaves (closeup)
When I left Russia I said I’m going away for
ten years. It’s coming up on ten years since I
arrived, but I have not seen any positive
change in Russia.
NAT sound
(Clip0008)
Ermoshkin holding a leaf
Ermoshkin holding a leaf (closeup)
A tree (closeup)
Ermoshkin walking towards a tree
Leaves
Where has the sun gone? To the Russian Far
East. I always think about it when I see the
sunset.
VO/SOT Aleksandr Ermoshkin
(ERMOSHKIN3: 01:07:55)
Ermoshkin next to a tree (closeup)
Ermoshkin next to a tree
Ermoshkin walking (closeup on feet)
Ermoshkin walking to the sunset
I want to return, but I have already fallen with
California. At least I have plans to buy a house
here, and that tells a lot.
3 3
TEXT CARD:
As of April 2023,
Aleksandr Ermoshkin and
Miloslav Chemodanov were both in the
process of applying for asylum.
TEXT CARD:
In March 2022, the U.S. suspended the
deportations to Russia.
The future of the deportations to Russia is
unclear.
Sources:
Montoya-Galvez, C. (2022) U.S. suspends
deportations to Ukraine, Russia and 7 other
European countries, citing "humanitarian
crisis". CBS News. Published online 03 March
2022:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia
-ice-deportations-suspended/
Bekiempis, V . (2023) Biden administration
quietly resumes deportations to Russia. The
Guar dian. Published online 18 March 2023:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/m
ar/18/biden-administration-russia-deportations
3 4

Abstract (if available)

Abstract "Shut up or disappear!" This is the message that Russian lawmakers send to gender and sexual minorities. LGTBQ+ rights have deteriorated significantly in Russia during the last decade, and the country's invasion of Ukraine, beginning in February 2022, has accelerated propaganda against 'non-traditional sexual relations,' as described by the Russian state. "Too Gay For Russia'' is a documentary that follows two Russian LGBTQ+ individuals who fled their home country because of the harassment and violence they had faced. On a broader scale, the documentary examines how the Russian government uses 'traditional values' and homophobia as part of its justification, to some extent, for the war of aggression in Ukraine.

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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Asset Metadata

Creator Mikkonen, Erkka Juhani (author)

Core Title Too gay for Russia

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 05/08/2023

Defense Date 05/05/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag documentary,Homophobia,LGTB+,LGTBQ,OAI-PMH Harvest,Putin,Refugees,Russia,traditional values,war in Ukraine

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Birman, Dan (committee chair), Gross, Larry P. (committee member), Tolan, Sandy (committee member)

Creator Email emikkone@usc.edu,erkka.mikkonen@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113102923

Unique identifier UC113102923

Identifier etd-MikkonenEr-11792.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-MikkonenEr-11792

Document Type Thesis

Format theses (aat)

Rights Mikkonen, Erkka Juhani

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20230508-usctheses-batch-1039 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu