I knew they were anti-gay, but this is bizarre. {domestic Russian TV show}

[Valdosta]

A Russian reality TV show called 'I'm Not Gay' makes 8 contestants guess which is gay — and it's hosted by a right-wing politician
Business Insider

* Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov hosts a reality TV show that makes contestants guess which of them is gay.

* Whichever "I'm Not Gay" contestant guesses correctly wins 2 million rubles, or $29,000 USD.

* The show fits neatly into the Kremlin's narrative of Russia's cultural superiority, one expert told Insider.

A Russian reality TV show titled "I'm Not Gay," hosted by one of the country's most notorious anti-gay politicians, is drawing scrutiny and abhorrence from western media outlets amid the country's increasingly authoritarian crackdown on LGBTQ rights.

"I'm Not Gay" pits eight contestants against one another in a series of games centered around masculine stereotypes and homophobic humor, to determine which one of them is gay. The contestant who correctly identifies their gay peer wins two million rubles, or $29,000 USD, and the gay contestant wins the money if he makes it through the games undetected.

The show appears to be popular among Russian audiences, and could easily be dismissed as lowbrow entertainment. For instance, one of the challenges involves receiving lap dances from both female and male strippers, while the rest of the contestants watch. Another challenge involves contestants reaching through what appears to be a glory hole, and groping scantily clad men and women.

...

Emphasis added.

So presumably they have a gay man who was willing to cooperate, yes? And the other contestants are absolutely vetted to be 100% straight? Of course it's all fakery.

Bear in mind that gay sex as such is still legal in Russia (for now). That is Russia proper, outlying areas such as Chechnya may vary.

[Dave Bowman]

1. That's seriously twisted.

And I'm not only talking about the stupid show.

[Chi67]

2. That is really messed up

Not only does it play into damaging stereotypes, but it also outs people who could be in danger as a result.