The court recognized the Pepe the Frog meme as a “symbol of the extremist LGBT movement”

According to the court, users are required to remove even old posts with symbols of the “LGBTQ movement” from their pages.

A court in the Novgorod region fined local resident Georgy Rezankov 1,500 rubles under the article on the demonstration of extremist symbols (Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code) for an image of Pepe the frog and a photo of Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg. “Vestka” found the corresponding resolution in the court file.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

The district police officer drew up a report because of two pictures on VK published in 2020

The reason for the fine was two pictures saved by Rezankov to his album on VKontakte. The district police officer who drew up the protocol indicated that they depicted “the symbol of the international LGBT social movement” - a flag consisting of six colors.

As stated in the court decision, one of the pictures depicted an “anthropomorphic comic book frog wearing a six-color wig on its head,” and the second depicted a “historical photograph” of Zetkin and Luxemburg depicting a six-color flag.

Rezankov explained during the meeting that “the photograph of a frog in a rainbow-colored wig is a meme about Pepe the clown, [which] later grew into the nickname Honkler, and became a kind of philosophy and has nothing to do with LGBT people.” And the photo of Zetkin and Luxemburg “also does not indicate LGBT propaganda, although some researchers believe that they were in a close relationship and lived together.”

In addition, Rezankov noted that he published the images back in 2020, when LGBT was not recognized as an “extremist organization.” However, the judge said Rezankov committed a continuing offense because he had an obligation to “bring his page into compliance with the law.”

At the same time, several errors were made in the court's ruling. For example, in the spelling of the surnames of German activists - “Zentkin” and “Luxinbur”. And in the listing of the colors of the rainbow flag, in which instead of the last one - purple - the second time there was orange.

In 2024, police sent more than 130 cases of “LGBT propaganda” to the courts.

As Vorstka previously reported, in 2024, police sent more than 130 cases of “LGBT propaganda” to the courts. The reasons for persecution were colored hair, “non-male” clothes, films with same-sex love, photos and likes on social networks.

Among those who received punishment are 71 citizens of Russia, other states and 20 legal entities. The total amount of fines that judges imposed for “gay propaganda” in 2024 is at least 25 million rubles.

Illustration: Pepe the Frog in a rainbow wig. VK

Support “Vestka” - it’s important and safe →