Russian streaming services censor LGBT plotline in “Stranger Things,” completely altering the meaning for viewers

In June of 2013, just over a year after Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin following a symbolic stint as prime minister, Russia adopted its first law banning the dissemination of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships.” Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, such measures have only become more restrictive — Russian authorities have declared the non-existent “international LGBT movement” to be an “extremist organization,” and a series of law enforcement raids targeting gay-friendly clubs and publishing houses soon followed.

The censorship also extends to streaming services — even to those that are notorious for offering pirated copies of popular Western films and series. As the independent outlet We Can Explain reported on Jan. 13, Russian audiences who watched the penultimate episode of “Stranger Things” were treated to a storyline whose meaning was significantly altered as a result of the Kremlin’s fight for “traditional values.”

As We Can Explain explained: “Russian pirate services (RuTube, VK Video, and others) have published the final episodes of the cult series ‘Stranger Things’ dubbed with the original voices who dubbed the series before Netflix left Russia. However, these versions censored one of the central plot lines that had been developing for the past eight years.”

In the episode in question, character Will Byers admits he's gay in an effort to reconnect with his true self and overcome the fear of being rejected by his friends and family… In the original, his coming-out statement is, ‘I don't like girls.’” However, in the version Russian audiences saw, “Will's confession is altered to, ‘I don't want to fall in love.’ As a result, due to LGBT censorship, the storylines of the two main characters remain unrevealed.”

Still, many Russian viewers picked up on the fact that something about the episode seemed off:

“Viewers have had mixed reactions to the censored pirated translation. Judging by the comments on RuTube and VK, they're well aware of the original scene that was censored: ‘You've simply buried one of the main moments and meanings with your translation. It would be better to just cut the entire episode,’” We Can Explain noted.

This is not the first time “Stranger Things” has been censored inside Russia. We Can Explain also pointed out that, “in December, a pirated version of the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’ was shown in Russian cinemas. As reported by [the independent outlet] Verstka, scenes featuring the relationship between two women, Robin Buckley and Vickie Dunn, were censored. Their kiss was also edited out.”

Last year, The Insider examined the effect the Kremlin’s anti-LGBT laws have had on the Russian sex-themed industry as a whole.