"Knocked on the Wrong Door"... Russia's First Transgender Politician Returns to Male

Russia's First Transgender Politician Undergoes Gender Reassignment Again
"Realized I Am Male During Orthodox Lent"
Public Apology Issued... Russia Bans 'LGBT Movement'

The first transgender politician in Russia who transitioned from male to female has decided to revert to his original male gender. On the 16th (local time), the Russian daily Kommersant reported that Roman Alyosin (34), a politician from the Altai Republic in the Siberian region, will transition back to male. Alyosin revealed on his social media service (SNS) that "during the Russian Orthodox Church's Lent period this year, I realized that I am a man" after a conversation with his mother.

Russian politician Roman Alyoshin. [Image source=Captured from Alyoshin's Telegram]

He wrote, "After looking through old albums of my ancestors and praying for them, it helped solidify the thought that I am a man. I realized I knocked on the wrong door. I live in Russia because I am a patriot. I apologize to all Russian citizens."

Alyosin also changed his SNS profile picture. Previously, it showed a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a dress, but now it shows a man with short hair wearing a hooded jumper.

Born male in 1990, he changed his name to "Yulia Alyosina" after graduating from university and lived as a woman. In 2020, he even received a passport with the female gender recorded. Serving as the head of the Altai Republic branch of the Russian Civic Initiative Party from 2021 to 2022, he gained fame as Russia's first transgender politician and advocated for the rights of sexual minorities (LGBT).

Last year, the Russian Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Ministry of Justice in an administrative lawsuit requesting the ban of the "LGBT international public movement" within Russia. The ruling effectively criminalized LGBT activism by classifying it as extremism. President Vladimir Putin, who values the "traditional family" concept, has viewed LGBT movements as evidence of moral corruption by Western countries and has cracked down on them.

In response, LGBT organizations in Russia immediately protested. Sergey Trosin, a Saint Petersburg city councilor who came out last year, opposed the ruling, stating, "This decision means that anyone the government considers an LGBT activist will be punished for participating in an 'extremist organization'." Alyosin also announced his retirement from politics at that time but is reported to have since returned.