A Russian science editor has accused his publisher of censoring a book about animal sexual behaviour, claiming it violated the country’s strict “LGBT propaganda” laws.
Viktor Kovylin, editor of the scientific journal Batrachospermum, revealed in a Telegram post that the publisher objected to factual descriptions of same-sex behaviour in animals, saying the content broke the law because it failed to express “disgust or criticism.”
“Apparently, neutral scientific descriptions of homosexual behavior, without disgust or criticism, now fall under the category of propaganda for non-traditional relationships!” Kovylin wrote, according to a translation.
In a sharp and satirical tone, he added:
“Hermaphrodites also fell victim to censorship: snails, slugs, and planarians will now have to apologise in turtlenecks and switch to separate sexes for the book to be published! The diversity of sexual organs is also banned… pedipalps, aedeagus, hectocotylus, and phallosomes with gynosomas are propaganda for non-traditional genitals!”
While Kovylin did not name the publisher directly, Novaya Gazeta reported that Batrachospermum‘s previous publications have been handled by the Eksmo-AST group, one of Russia’s largest publishing houses. The group has admitted to using artificial intelligence to censor manuscripts, which Kovylin confirmed occurred in this case.
Russia’s Escalating Crackdown on LGBTQ+ Expression
Russia first enacted its “LGBTQ+ propaganda” law in 2013, banning the so-called promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships in the presence of minors. In 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation expanding the law to criminalise all public expressions of LGBTQ+ identity, regardless of audience.
In 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court officially declared the “international LGBT social movement” an “extremist organisation,” making it even riskier to reference queer lives in public or creative contexts.
According to the court ruling reported by Verstka Media,
“Public approval and the promotion of the attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations is dangerous not only for children and young people… but also for society as a whole,”
citing supposed threats to demographic growth and economic development.
Meanwhile, state-aligned media continues to fuel fear. Last year, independent outlet Meduza revealed that government narratives often describe LGBTQ+ people as “paramilitary groups” inciting “gender war,” with baseless claims of “dehumanisation” and “devil worship.”
The law’s chilling effect is widespread. In January, Russian authorities charged several top streaming platforms with violations over queer content. Around the same time, the young adult imprint of Eksmo was forced to shut down after being targeted by the state.
In another example of escalating censorship, a 22-year-old man was fined for posting a vintage image of rock band Queen in drag. And in December, officials blocked access to U.S.-based gaming platform Roblox, claiming it was “rife with inappropriate content” harmful to children’s moral development.
As Kovylin’s case highlights, even neutral scientific writing about natural behaviours in animals is now subject to ideological filtering — a stark reflection of how far-reaching and absurd Russia’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws have become.
