Perestroika and the Queer Question: How Late Soviet Newspapers Shaped Discussions of the Previously Unspeakable

• In Event: Hiding in Plain Sight: Russian and Soviet History Through the Press

Abstract

During Perestroika, the late Soviet authorities avoided publicly addressing issues of sexuality, including homosexuality and the transgender issue. Yet, Soviet newspapers—both central and local—emerged as crucial platforms for disseminating information and fostering discussions on previously taboo topics.

This paper examines how journalists and queer individuals, inspired by Perestroika's values of openness and reform, utilized media to bring attention to marginalized groups in Soviet society. By analyzing the discourse in these newspapers, I explore how the press became a space for negotiating identity, visibility, and social change in the modifying Soviet society.

Author

• I R