A Russian court has fined a local news outlet 500,000 rubles (about $6,600) after it published a review of the gay-themed hockey drama series Heated Rivalry, treating the cultural write-up as illegal in a ruling under the "gay propaganda law".
Heated Rivalry centres on closeted gay Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who is in a secret affair with Canadian player Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). Some scenes are set in Russia, and Rozanov’s tense relationship with his family is a big plot point and something he struggles with throughout season one.
Despite legal risks around LGBTQ content, the series has found a big Russian fanbase via pirate sites or VPNs. The fine was linked to a review headlined: “Why Did ‘Heated Rivalry’ Become Popular?” People are watching it in part because it is forbidden, a guilty pleasure that the government would likely view as dangerous propaganda.
With Putin, Russia is a very homophobic and transphobic place, especially given the 2013 law that bans so-called gay propaganda, in fact, any positive mention of LGBTQ identity.
