A Russian court has imposed a 500,000 rouble fine (approximately £5,200) on a regional news website for publishing a review of the television series Heated Rivalry. The ruling against Saratov Business Consulting (SarBC) marks one of the first known applications of Russia's expanded "gay propaganda" law to media coverage of the popular show, which is effectively banned in the country.
The article in question, titled "Why Did ‘Heated Rivalry’ Become Popular?", appeared only briefly on the SarBC site before being removed. An employee stated the piece was acquired through a content-sharing arrangement with another outlet. "The article just came from a link exchange. It was published for a short time, but we quickly took it down. It’s a harmless review," they said. The Oktyabrsky District Court in Saratov disagreed, applying the maximum administrative penalty available under the statute, indicating a stringent regional enforcement approach.
Heated Rivalry is an adaptation of Rachel Reid's novel, following the secret romance between a closeted Russian NHL star and his Canadian rival. Despite having no official release in Russia, the series has developed a significant underground following. On the Russian review platform Kinopoisk, it holds a rating of 8.3 out of 10 from over 60,000 viewers, who largely accessed it via pirate streams and virtual private networks (VPNs).
Russia's "gay propaganda" law was originally restricted to content aimed at minors. In December 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed an amendment extending the ban to adults, outlawing any positive depiction of LGBTQIA+ relationships in media and online. This was followed a year later by the Supreme Court labelling the "international LGBT movement" an extremist organisation, enabling broader legal action.
The chilling effect is clear. Organisations like Human Rights Watch have documented a sharp increase in propaganda-related penalties, with small regional outlets now routinely fined for cultural coverage deemed unremarkable elsewhere. Despite this state crackdown, access to restricted content persists. VPN usage has soared, with an estimated 41 per cent of Russian internet users circumventing state blocks by 2025.
Parallel efforts to sustain queer cultural expression continue. After the closure of Popcorn Books, the publisher behind the gay novel Pioneer Summer, part of its team launched a new imprint. Similarly, the rights group Coming Out, declared "extremist" by a court in 2026, continues its support work from exile. The audience for such content has not vanished but has moved further underground.
