Russia’s first transgender politician drops her run for governor due to anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Russia’s first openly transgender politician has abandoned plans to run in a gubernatorial election, saying that the country’s latest anti-LGBTQ+ bill has eroded the support needed to register her candidacy. Yulia Alyoshina had planned to represent the opposition Civil Initiative party at the polls in southern Siberia’s Altai region in September, when it will elect a new governor.