Russian State Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov Claims Antidepressants Cause 'Homosexuality'
On October 16, 2026, Vitaly Milonov, a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the ruling United Russia party, claimed that taking antidepressants reportedly leads to the “emergence of homosexuality,” alcoholism, and suicide. In an interview with the Russian news outlet Gazeta.Ru, the lawmaker sharply criticized the widespread use of psychopharmacotherapy, called for substantially tighter restrictions on the distribution of psychiatric medications, and urged citizens to refrain from taking them altogether.
Commenting on reports of surging antidepressant sales across the country, Milonov linked the trend to the influence of Western popular culture. “People have watched American filth and gorge themselves on all kinds of antidepressants. And what happens next? Then suicide, alcoholism, and homosexuality emerge,” the deputy stated. He argued that such medications are being prescribed without proper oversight by what he described as “fake psychologists,” demanding that prescribing authority be strictly limited to psychiatrists. In addition, Milonov suggested that clinical depression is caused by drinking alcohol, comparing the condition to a hangover, and advised Russians to avoid alcohol and tobacco rather than relying on tranquilizers and antidepressants.
The lawmaker’s remarks contradict both Russian healthcare regulations and evidence-based medical consensus. Under the Federal Law “On Psychiatric Care and Guarantees of Citizens’ Rights in Its Provision,” psychologists in Russia do not hold medical degrees and are legally prohibited from prescribing prescription drugs; only licensed physicians—psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and neurologists—are authorized to issue prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics. Medical professionals and psychiatric bodies also emphasize that antidepressant pharmacotherapy has no effect on human sexual orientation. Depression is recognized by the global medical community as a complex, multifactorial mental health condition requiring professional care, while abruptly discontinuing prescribed psychiatric medications carries severe risks of withdrawal syndrome and symptom relapse.
Vitaly Milonov has served in the State Duma since 2016 and is the deputy chairman of the Committee on the Protection of the Family, Paternity, Maternity, and Childhood. Previously, as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg, he authored Russia’s first regional law prohibiting the “propaganda of homosexuality” among minors, passed in 2012, which became the blueprint for subsequent federal legislation. His recent remarks followed industry findings from the Alliance of Pharmaceutical Associations, which reported that retail sales of antidepressants in Russian pharmacies have doubled since 2022, as well as temporary supply disruptions affecting certain prescription sedatives.
Linking LGBT issues to conspiracy theories and medical claims is a recurring theme in the rhetoric of Russian public officials. Previously, Urania reported on statements by Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of the NRC “Kurchatov Institute,” who described Western support for LGBT rights as an instrument of population reduction. The editorial team has also examined the Russian Health Ministry’s updated clinical guidelines for sexual disorders, which regulate SSRI prescriptions in paraphilia treatment, and analyzed extensive financial penalties imposed under Russia’s anti-LGBT censorship statutes following the judicial ban on the country’s LGBT movement.
