The number of Russians acquiring new passports with revised gender markers soared in 2022, according to a report by the independent news source Mediazona, In contrast to 554 passports in 2021 and 428 in 2020, 936 new passports were issued last year citing “sex change,” according to statistics provided by Russia’s interior ministry. The statistics also revealed that the sudden rise started in March, right after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Human rights advocates who spoke to Mediazona said that the spike is likely a result of the war in Ukraine and Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights as transgender people seek to avoid mobilization and fear that authorities could ban transitioning altogether in the future,” the report said.
“In December 2022, one hundred and nineteen Russians received passports with updated gender markers, more than in any previous month on record,” it added.
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The claims emerge months after Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, approved a limited mobilisation in an effort to support Moscow’s soldiers, who were suffering significant casualties on the battlefield. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, announced in September that 300,000 reservists will be called up to help Moscow’s military operation. But rumours started to spread that Russia was gathering up homeless people and deploying them to the front lines.
