Russia Deports Man Over Online Skirt Review That Court Said Promoted ‘Non-Traditional S*xual Relations’
A foreign national is being deported from Russia after leaving an online product review for a faux leather skirt - in what has become one of the most unusual cases to emerge under the country's sweeping anti-LGBT legislation.
A foreign national is being deported from Russia after leaving an online product review for a faux leather skirt - in what has become one of the most unusual cases to emerge under the country's sweeping anti-LGBT legislation.
The man purchased the skirt on Wildberries, one of Russia's largest e-commerce platforms, in September 2025. He uploaded photos of himself wearing it and left a lighthearted review that read: "What a lovely little skirt! It hides not just the flaws in my figure, but also the fact that I'm a guy."
That single sentence cost him his right to remain in the country.
A court in Russia's Tula region ruled that the review promoted "non-traditional sxual relations," which is against Russian law. Under Russia's expanded anti-LGBT propaganda legislation introduced in 2022, promoting "non-traditional sxual orientations" in any form - including on s social media or e-commerce platforms - is strictly prohibited.
The man was detained on April 23. After serving five days of administrative arrest, he was transferred to a temporary detention centre for foreign nationals in Kimovsk, where he can be held for up to 90 days pending deportation. Despite pleading with the court not to send him away, the judge ruled against him. The product review has since been removed from the platform. Deportation of Indians by US: Over 2790 Indian Nationals Deported From America This Year for Illegal Stay, Says MEA.
Authorities also filed separate LGBT propaganda charges against him over photos and videos on his personal social media pages, allegedly showing him dressed in women's clothing. That case was sent back for procedural corrections. Russian Man in Viral Videos with African Women News: Ghana Govt Issues Statement on Vyacheslav Trahov 'Yaytseslav'.
Since Russia expanded its LGBT propaganda ban in 2022, dozens of individuals have faced charges for acts as minor as posting rainbow flags online. Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the law as a tool of political and social repression targeting s*xual minorities.
The case has drawn global attention and reignited fierce debate over freedom of expression and s*xual freedom in modern Russia.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 03, 2026 04:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
