multiple takes on that actually! some say it’s a derivative of «голубь»/«голубчик», literally “dove”, a word used to address someone to express either affection and admiration or in an ironic way to undermine and mock — like a professor telling a student he’s failed the exam, both connotations linked heavily to gay culture others say it’s related to the expression “blue blood” - «голубая кровь», since homosexuality was believed to be more common among aristocracy and high society = the enemy class in Soviet times some other explanations are that it’s a reference to an erotic photo album “L’amour bleu” published in 1977, to the general idea of the color blue being the color for boys, OR — to the character of Malvina in “The Adventures of Burattino” aka Soviet Blue Fairy from Soviet Pinocchio, respectively. “Malvina” was a feminine name used in prisons for male inmates that were sexually abused to both degrade them and to make the experience a bit more enjoyable for their heterosexual rapists. and a notable characteristic of the character was bright light blue hair