"The government currently ruling Russia has been understandably criticized for its attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. That hostility - homophobia as official government policy - is one of many reasons why the U.S. State Depaertment advises against visiting Russia. And while the country's government is engaged in actively repressing sexuality, there's plenty of evidence that a significant number of Russians are turning in to Heated Rivalry - albeit through unofficial means."
"The show's recently-concluded first season told the story of the romance between professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov - characters who hail from Canada and Russia, respectively. As Mary Ilyushina reports for The Washington Post, a number of viewers in Russia have been drawn to the series, even though there is no legally sanctioned way to do so there."
"Russia is not the only country where audiences are finding ways to watch the show despite governmental opposition. Earlier this month, James Griffiths of The Globe and Mail chronicled Heated Rivalry's Chinese fans - despite the fact that the series is unavailable to watch legally in most of the country. This isn't quite a samizdat situation, but it also isn't that far removed from it."
The Russian government has enacted policies hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, prompting the U.S. State Depaertment to advise against visiting. Despite active repression of sexuality, many Russians are finding unofficial ways to watch Heated Rivalry. The show's first season centers on a romance between Canadian player Shane Hollander and Russian player Ilya Rozanov. Rozanov's fraught relationship with his homeland resonates with many Russian viewers. Audiences in China are also accessing the series despite legal unavailability there. For numerous viewers, watching the show functions as a form of cultural or political defiance against restrictive authorities.
Read at InsideHook
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