This article contains spoilers for the show’s heated rivalry.
While the Canadian series of fragments Hot competition Dima, 24, who started appearing on TikTok late last year, was the focus of a steamy show about the romance between two professional hockey players – one Canadian, one Russian – who works as an engineer in Moscow.
When he started to see, he started to get hooked. American actor Connor Story immediately impressed with how he nailed the dialogue while portraying the arrogant and charismatic Russian center Ilya Rozanov.
And he felt a deeply personal connection to Rozanov’s struggle to be transparent about his sexuality.
“If Ilya leaves, he will not be able to return to his country – that is the pure truth,” said Dima. CBC News is identifying him by name only in light of Russia’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
“It used to be frowned upon. Now it’s literally hate speech… They can beat you, arrest you, arrest you.”
Calls to ban the series
Based on a series of novels by Canadian author Rachel Reid, the show follows Rozanov and Asian-Canadian player Shane Holland (played by Canadian Hudson Williams) as they fall in love with each other over several years and develop a fierce rivalry on the ice.
It is to be.ea global media sensation, stimulating conversations around sexuality; Homosexuality in sports and acceptance, all while challenging the constructions of what is considered masculine.
In Canada, the series was created for Bell Media’s streaming platform, Crave, and airs on HBO Max in the US, but is available in Russia only on VPN or pirated sites, full subtitles or Russian voice.
Although it cannot be viewed legally in Russia due to technical licensing restrictions, a National Orthodox Organization He’s asking to be banned outright because of what he’s calling. “Unnatural lewdness” scenes.
Despite the Kremlin passing increasingly repressive anti-LGBTQ+ laws, many Russian fans are showing their love and appreciation for the series online.
Canada’s hockey romance is finding an unexpected audience in Russia. Fans there say Heated Rivalry’s narrative reflects reality for LGBTQ+ people living under Russia’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
On Kinopoisk, Russia’s version of the Internet movie database, more than 30,000 fans voted. Hot competition He missed it.of 8.6.
There are memes, posts and reels on social media from Russians who are passionate about spicy content. In one episode, a woman posted pictures of Rozanov all over the countryside, saying the hockey player could come to her “dacha” or cottage at any time.
The series, however, provided a more nuanced but deeper discussion in a country where same-sex unions are not recognized and the government goes to great lengths to promote what it deems “traditional” values.
“People are watching it partly because it’s taboo, it’s the government’s guilty pleasure The voice memo Dima sent to CBC News via the Telegram messaging app could be viewed as dangerous propaganda.
Increasingly, the laws of Russia
In the year In December 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning what his government described as LGBTQ+ “propaganda.”
Many books, including those written by Oscar Wilde, They were taken from the store shelves. Films depicting same-sex relationships, incl Brokeback MountainRussian streaming sites have been removed.
According to the lawAnyone found promoting “non-traditional sex” can be fined up to 400,000 rubles, equivalent to ab.From $7,200 CDN.
Earlier this week, on January 13, a court in Moscow filed administrative charges against several executives at Russian streaming sites for broadcasting LGBTQ+ propaganda. It is unclear what content prompted the charges.
But Russia has also moved to introduce the possibility of jail time for those it deems to be activists.
In the year In 2023, after closing its doors, the Supreme Court of Russia announced what it called “”International LGBT movement“A radical organization.
In the year In 2024, the first arrests were made under the new law. Two employees of the LGBTQ+ club They are arrested and can face up to ten years if found guilty.
The mounting pressure has led some to flee Russia and those who remain to hide their personal lives even more.
Keeping their sexuality a secret
Dima said he “admitted” he was gay at 19, but was careful not to reveal anything except the most intimate. When he talks about going out on the weekends, he tells people he goes out with his girlfriend instead of his boyfriend.
“The problem is I’m getting used to it,” he said. “I understand the fact that things are like this for us and there is no other way.”
At work, when he hears his colleagues making hateful, anti-LGBTQ+ comments, Dima says he keeps quiet to avoid giving anything away about himself.
It’s easy to forget that Dima is gay because he tries so hard to distance himself from society.
He loves the reality of the first season Hot competition Holland ended up coming out to his parents, but admits he felt jealous when he watched.
“Coming out to my parents has been completely different, and I’ve seen how the parents are receiving it, and I feel really good about it,” he said.
“I’m really jealous that Shane has parents like that.”
Broad appeal
In the year For Oli, who is in St. Petersburg before leaving Russia in 2022, the show serves as a reminder that “it’s okay to be queer.”
Oli, who uses her/his pronouns, left the country because of its repressive laws, but still helps other LBGTQ+ Russians. That’s why the CBC doesn’t use Ollie’s full name.
While Ollie says the show clearly connects with the LGBTQ+ community, it has a wider appeal, especially among young women.
A song by a Russian pop duo Tatu Featured in an episode, the group reportedly gained hundreds of thousands of new listeners on Russian streaming site Yandex Music.
It is also now frequently sampled as part of reels and videos on social media.
““That’s the reason why[some people]feel good about this show, especially now, because it’s winter,” Ollie said in a Zoom interview with CBC News.
