Transgender Russian politician says he has detransitioned

www.reuters.com/world/europe/transgender-russian-politician-says-he-has-detransitioned-2024-05-16/

"A transgender politician from Russia said on Thursday that he had reverted to his gender assigned at birth, in an unusual message amid a crackdown on LGBTQ rights in the country.

"Roman Alyoshin, who previously went by the name Yulia Alyoshina and last year ran for governor of a Siberian region, said he had come to the decision during Orthodox Lent after a period of 'spiritual anguish'.

"'I went through old albums of my ancestors, prayed for them, and it helped the idea set in that I'm a guy', Alyoshin wrote on the Telegram messenger app.

'I'm a patriot of my country, that's why I live in Russia. I apologise to all the Russian people!'"

in transgenderby onnake

212

96%

17d

reYal_DEV

250

17d

I feel sorry for them. They really just want to get rid of us.

degenpiled

104

17d

Should we even really use anything but she/her for her, if she obviously detransitioned under extreme pressure/duress?

reYal_DEV

17d

I used 'them' specifically because of this... sigh there is no real right in this.

ConsumeTheVoid

17d

I'd say use whatever pronouns he tells us to regardless why. (I'm assuming he/him here). But it's sad af he can't really be true to the person he really is.

Sky-is-here

16d

It feels so uncomfortable to use he/him knowing how this happened tho

AeifeO

16d

If it helps, consider the violent government regime like a violent parent of a teen. You don't out the teen just because misgendering feels wrong. If they ask you to deadname them, you do it for their safety.

Sky-is-here

16d

That actually makes it easier to understand yes

effieJF

102

17d

Sad when you can't be yourself for fear of your own government

oychae

Intersex friend

17d

Fuck Russian politics and fuck putin.

TOWERtheKingslayer

Gender-Nonaligning (they/them)

16d

He’ll be dead within the next couple years. Sooner if possible.

ucannottell

17d

Blink three times if this was done under duress

a_secret_me

Transgender

17d

Spiritual anguish

Well I believe there was anguish but I somehow doubt it was spiritual

Illiander

16d

It was probably caused by religion?

Not neccesarily their religion, but by religion.

Suharevskoyebydlo

Russian propagandists say that LGBT people (though they prefer to call them slurs) are "not only mentally, but also spiritually ill" whatever that means.

a_secret_me

Transgender

This is what it means https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_fascism

Suharevskoyebydlo

Yeah, thanks, forgot it. Though Russia doesn't have any coherent ideology, it's more of a mix of clerical fascism and whatever the Republicans are saying right now multiplied by 3, with a sprinkle of Stalinist aesthetic on top.

klopaplop

17d

Just feel really sorry for her. With how extremely dangerous it is to be trans in Russia never mind being a politician at the same time so it really stands out publicly, I get the feeling she didn't have much of a choice. It's just rather sad to see

AngelaTarantula2

16d

Funny how her “spiritual awakening” aligned with the criminalization of gender affirming care in Russia.

SoutherEuropeanHag

16d

Not much of a choice when your options are "publicly detransition and claim you found god" and "go straight to a gulag while we'll stage your public detransition". We can only hope that transfolk will be able to flee that he'll and find safety in other countries.

Inflammo

Transgender

17d

That’s going to be a no from me dawg.

Illiander

17d

Well she would say that, wouldn't she?

haveweirddreamstoo

Transgender

17d

I don’t blame her. I’d probably do the same if I were her. It makes me sad for our brothers and sisters and siblings in Russia.

Illiander

17d

No blame at all. just pointing out that anything said under duress is unreliable, and trans people in Russia are absolutely under duress.

Of course, Cass will probably start citing this as another example in support of her bullshit next week.

ConsumeTheVoid

16d

Well Cass is already trying to cite public hostility ala angering family and employment discrimination as reasons we shouldn't be allowed to transition so what else would be new.

thepotplant

17d

Was hoping she'd lead some Altay separatism.

User_Turtle

16d

When will putin get the romanov treatment???

Illiander

16d

The CIA had one job...

User_Turtle

16d

You think the cia does their job?

Illiander

16d

No, they never do their job.

But we can wish that they did.

User_Turtle

16d

If they did their job they'd easy way out of life.

tachibanakanade

eternally leftist.

14d

the CIA would have backed the counterrevolutionaries.

mrthescientist

16d

Alyoshin has previously appeared in media photographs wearing dresses and with shoulder-length blonde hair. His profile picture on his Telegram channel now shows him with close-cropped hair and wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Everyone's allowed to make their own choices; but this sounds an awful lot like how my dysphoria presents. I'm probably trying to pull too much information out of two sentences and a photo I haven't seen, though.

Sanbaddy

17d

I hate it when people use religion as the backbone to their hatred.

Look, if transitioning wasn’t for you that’s fine. If anything I’m glad your journey helped you discover yourself. But just because it wasn’t something that worked out for you, doesn’t mean it’s somehow now bad for everyone.

Honestly, a lot of what they’re saying sounds like they’re lying to themselves too or someone is pressuring them.

thesefloralbones

Transgender

17d

She was almost definitely forced to detransition, yeah. This isn't hatred, it's a desperate attempt at self-preservation. Russia is not safe for queer people, and she's in a particularly dangerous position as a politician.

Sanbaddy

17d

Damn, I feel so bad for her then. I’d do anything to get her to the said/UK and to a sanctuary state.

I wish we could genuinely help her somehow. It took a lot of strength to come out, only to be shoved back into the closet by force. I can only imagine the threats they’re facing.

SophieCalle

Trans Woman

16d

Future Caitlyn Jenner. I'm saying it now.

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