Russia’s leading tennis player, Daria Kasatkina, has come out as a lesbian. This was revealed during an interview. She was addressing the rising homophobic attitudes in Russia.
Daria is ranked No. 12 globally. She told a Russian blogger that she is in a relationship with a woman – Natalia Zabiiako. Daria posted photos of the two together on social media after the interview.
Daria spoke out against the condition in Russia.She said that she has not been able to hold hand with her girl friend in Russia. She is not based in Russia at the moment.
“This notion of someone wanting to be gay or becoming one is ridiculous. I think there is nothing easier in this world than being straight,” she said.
“Seriously, if there is a choice, no one would choose being gay. Why make your life harder, especially in Russia? What’s the point?”
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Same-sex relationships were illegalized in Russia in 1993. However, things are changing now. In 2013, Russia enacted a “gay propaganda” law. This has been used to target LGBTQ community.
ILGA-Europe, an organization working for LGBTQ rights across Europe, has ranked Russia among the worst countries in Europe for LGBTQ people. Russia ranks above Turkey and Azerbaijan.
“Living in the closet is impossible. It is too hard, it is pointless,” Kasatkina said.
“Living in peace with yourself is the only thing that matters.”
More and more sportspeople around the globe are coming out to the public on their sexual orientation. At least 186 athletes came to public on their LGBTQ during the Tokyo Olympics.
Despite the increased visibility on LGBTQ people around the globe, still many of them face persecution. For instance, in the US, state lawmakers introduced an excess of 162 bills targeting LGBTQ Americans during the first half of 2022.
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