Just as Russia‘s parliament considers passing a controversial law seen as anti-gay, a group of young women have published the first glossy magazine in the country aimed at lesbians.
The glossy quarterly Agens is aimed at women who do not want to go to gay rights rallies but want to read about successful women who are open about their sexuality, said the 24-year-old editor Milena Chernyavskaya.
“A lot of us don’t want to go out on the street with posters, shout into megaphones and fight homophobes,” she wrote in her first editorial, saying she wanted to “create a new image of the lesbian community.”
Confident and articulate, with long curly hair and a tattoo on her wrist, Chernyavskaya met AFP in a Moscow cafe after her day job in public relations at an IT company.
The magazine, whose first issue featured tips on hairstyles and advice on coming out, has 120 pages and a neutral pink-toned cover. The only thing that stands out is its “plus 18” warning, in line with new legislation in Russia.
The editor said Agens, which translates as powerful in Latin, is Russia’s first glossy magazine aimed at lesbians.
The magazine is aimed at women aged “22-32, working, earning the average or more, educated,” she said.
“It’s active women, quite young, who are interested in what’s happening in the world.”
— ‘Not afraid to be who they are’ —
Chernyavskaya stressed that the magazine was a lifestyle publication, saying it intends to reach women who are put off by gay rights activism, which in Russia involves real risk of violent attacks by homophobes.
“Not everyone wants to go to rallies,” she said.