Roman Alyoshin, formerly known as Yulia Alyoshina and a transgender politician who ran for governor in Siberia last year, announced his decision to revert to his gender assigned at birth.
This decision, shared on the Telegram messenger app, comes amidst Russia’s tightening restrictions on LGBTQ rights.
Alyoshin explained that during Orthodox Lent, after a period of “spiritual anguish,” he looked through old family albums and prayed, leading him to realize that he identifies as a man.
He expressed patriotism for Russia, apologizing to the Russian people in his message.
Alyoshin, believed to be Russia’s first openly transgender political figure, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding his detransition.
Last July, Alyoshin, then identifying as a woman, withdrew from the gubernatorial race in Siberia’s Altai region due to Russian laws prohibiting legal and surgical gender changes.
Russia has faced criticism for its crackdown on LGBTQ rights, with President Vladimir Putin framing these measures as a defense against perceived moral decay from Western influences.
Alyoshin’s public image has notably changed, with previous photographs showing him in dresses and shoulder-length blonde hair, while his current profile picture on Telegram depicts him with short hair and a hooded sweatshirt.
Source-Reuters
