A Russian court has imposed fines on a local news agency and one of its directors for a review they published on the popular series “Heated Rivalry,” which has been labeled as LGBTQ+ propaganda by Russian legislators.
The fines, as reported by the independent Russian news site Mediazona and verified by CBC News, were issued after SaratovBusinessConsulting, a website covering entertainment and news, posted a review of the queer hockey series in February. The review included a link to where the show could be streamed and has since been removed.
The fines were imposed due to the content being deemed LGBTQ+ propaganda, with the news agency receiving a 500,000 rubles penalty (equivalent to over $9,000 Cdn) and the agency director fined 50,000 rubles (around $900 Cdn).
“Heated Rivalry,” produced for Bell Media’s streaming platform, Crave, and available on HBO Max in the U.S., can only be accessed in Russia through a VPN or pirate websites. Despite these limitations, the series has garnered a significant fan base in Russia, with fan tributes and content circulating on social media.
The review highlighted the series’ popularity, attracting over 60,000 votes on Kinopoisk, a Russian movie database, giving it a rating of 8.3 out of 10. The show centers around the romantic relationship between Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov and Canadian hockey player Shane Hollander, with one of the plotlines exploring Rozanov’s struggles with coming out as gay publicly.
Russian legislation prohibits LGBTQ+ propaganda, signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in 2022, banning the promotion of non-traditional relationships in media. This law has led to the removal of books and films from circulation, including works by authors like Oscar Wilde and Haruki Murakami. Additionally, Russia has classified the LGBTQ+ movement as an extremist organization and prosecuted individuals for displaying Pride flags.
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