Russian Street of Invisible LGBT Places
The rebellious spirit of Saint-Petersburg
The door to my right leads to Central Station, a gay club on Dumskay Street in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Inside, on the 14th of May in 2010, I presented my gay novel in Russian, self-published at my own risk. After the presentation, the book became available for purchase only in the city’s sole gay bookstore located in the heart of Nevsky prospect. At the time, it was hard to imagine that some three years later the notorious anti-gay “propaganda” law would be approved. 2013 heralded the starting point of politically sanctioned attacks on the main symbol of LGBT culture — the six-colored flag. To many gay Russians, the summer of that year is remembered as less iridescent than ever — it marked a step back.
The law enables the most odious politicians to score cheap political points; anything six-colored risks getting targeted. A case against Chistaya Liniya, an ice-cream company, ends up with the brand redesigning one of their wraps. More controversial cases follow.
Should you happen to explore Dumskay Street in 2021, you will fail to find any nameplate with the name of the aforementioned gay club. Its owners are forced not to have it in order to safely operate their business.
The fight for human rights has never ceased: while the local government keeps trying to create the illusion of an LGBT-free city, the rebellious spirit of Saint-Petersburg takes invisible care of anything targeted by the inhumane.
Don’t search for the gay bookstore though. We lost it; the place is permanently closed, but that will be covered in another story. While waiting for it, go to Amazon and get yourself a copy of Truth with Ornaments.
