Re: The now-banned image of Putin in drag makeup:

[Saviolo]

4. I think it holds more meaning to the Russian artist that conceived it

I believe (but I have not been able to confirm) that it arose from the Russian gay community, and that the image frequently has "STOP HOMOFOBIA" across the forehead:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/world/europe/vladimir-putin-clown-drag.html

And it has a message about Putin's oppression of LGBTQ people and his laws banning material "promoting" homosexuality.

But when North American (mostly liberal) people use it, it's lacking all of that context. It's saying that a man who calls himself a strong man is compensating for being a self-hating queer, or it's saying that the strongman is gay/effeminate/trans. Either way it is not empowering to LGBTQ communities in that context.

It's very context specific. Seeing Boing Boing promote the image saying "Putin has banned this, so WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T SPREAD IT AROUND! (har har har, Putin's gay!)" just really does not sit well with me.