Criminal prosecution of homosexuals in the Soviet Union (1946-1991) : numbers and discourses

Abstract

In the first part of the paper, criminal prosecution of male homosexuals is discussed, represented by article ‘muzhelozhstvo’ of Criminal Codes of the Soviet Socialist republics. Figures for years 1946-1991 are published. Overall, the number of convicted exceeds 38.000 in 45 and a half years. As these statistics are incomplete for late 1940s – early 1950s, we have to add ‘no less than’ to this number, to underline that the exact number remains unknown. In the second part of the article, late 1960s case from Tbilisi is discussed. There, although police decided not to prosecute a group of lesbian women which was uncovered, police officers nevertheless intruded informally in private lives of these women. The intrusion resulted in a suicide of 19-year old woman. As we can see from both statistics and the individual case presented, women were not excluded from criminal prosecution of homosexuals in the Soviet Union (although women were prosecuted much less often than men). But, even when there were no legal charges made, police still intervened in private lives of lesbians. This contributes to the understanding of shared subjectivities of homosexual women and men as proposed by Arthur Clech.