Plot twist: the show is very, very gay.
Bernardo SimRussian media is upping the ante on its homophobia by creating an entire “no homo, bro” reality show where eight men attempt to prove that they’re not gay...for some reason!
Vitaly Milonov, a politician who dedicates most of his time to promoting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Russia, is now co-hosting a YouTube reality series called Я не гей, which translates to I’m Not Gay.
According to Kevin Rothrock – a reporter who covers Russian media – this show is about eight grown men proving how straight they are. These straight men will be eliminated week after week until the hidden gay man in the cast is found.
The existence and civil rights of LGBTQ+ people have been historically challenging in Russia. Of note, same-sex marriage is illegal, Pride parades are basically banned, and trans people are in constant danger. According to a poll reported by The Moscow Times in 2018, four out of five Russians find gay sex “reprehensible.”
It is also common for Russian TV shows to feature LGBTQ+ individuals being ridiculed, humiliated, or subjected to verbal or physical violence. In the specific case of I’m Not Gay, the contestants will be subjected to several challenges where they’ll have to either resist their urges to find men attractive and/or prove how attracted they are to women. Coming from someone like Milonov, this is yet another attempt of his to push anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda and make a mockery of anyone who isn’t a cisgender heterosexual person.
As pointed out by Juan Barquin in a tweet, the opening credits for I’m Not Gay are one of the gayest things you’ll ever see.
The first episode of I’m Not Gay is 52 minutes long and can be viewed below.
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0Anti-LGBTQ+ Russian Propagandist Launches I'm Not Gay Reality Show
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