During the XVIII Congress of Russian Psychiatrists on May 26, 2026, Dr. Olga Bukhanovskaya, head of the “Phoenix” medical and rehabilitation scientific center, sparked controversy by labeling homosexuality and transgenderism as mental illnesses. Bukhanovskaya introduced the concept of a “transgender spectrum disorder,” which she claims includes five conditions: homosexuality, “fetishistic transvestism,” personality disorders, schizotypal disorders, and “schizophrenia combined with periodic effemination”.
Bukhanovskaya further alleged that Russia is facing an “epidemic of transgenderism” driven by propaganda and “trans-instruction” from external “curators”. She also claimed the existence of a “fifth column” within the Russian medical community, specifically targeting “trans-LGBT-friendly” doctors, psychologists, and lecturers for their role in promoting these identities. These statements come as Russia continues to distance itself from international medical standards; while the ICD-11 depathologized such conditions in 2022, Russia suspended its transition to these standards in 2024, citing a conflict with “traditional values”.
In response to these remarks, a petition was launched on May 27, 2026, calling for international personal sanctions against Bukhanovskaya and the “Phoenix” center. Human rights activists and authors of the initiative described her position as “openly discriminatory,” warning that such expert discourse creates additional pressure, stigma, and safety threats for millions of LGBTQ+ individuals in Russia. The petition urges the international community to take decisive action to protect human dignity regardless of orientation or identity.