Twenty-three-year-old Denis Leontovich lived openly as a gay man in Russia. After discovering a passion for environmental education in college, he took a position in youth policy as a regional official in Samara, focusing on social projects. However, in the spring of 2024, he was forced to resign following a social media harassment campaign sparked by posts from State Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshtein. Now, Leontovich has fled Russia and is seeking asylum in France, where he spoke to the independent outlet Holod about what it’s like to be gay while working for a government that passes homophobic laws. Meduza shares a translation of his first-person account.