About our new partner – an organization of the Russian speaking Americans – RUSA LGBT
UPO "Gay Alliance Ukraine" continuously works to develop its partnership networks. Today we are happy to announce that RUSA LGBT based and working in New York City has become our new partner. While the last time, telling about the cooperation with this organization we called it just friendly, then now we have every right to speak about them as partners.
RUSA LGBT is the organization, which members are Russian speaking LGBT Americans. It was created spontaneously and operates on the principle of "grassroots". In the modern American politics and social activities these words describe the movement "from below", organized by the initiative people to fight for their own rights. That is why RUSA does not have a definite hierarchy and the statute: all of its activities are exceptionally volunteering, and sometimes its activists even have to invest their own money into the projects.
At the same time activities of the organization are diverse and useful. The first and foremost it is the community building. Moving to USA people often do not even have enough contacts for the common human communication. Especially for such people the activists of RUSA create platforms for communication and meeting people, thereby providing a tremendous psychological support. Besides, communication within a Russian speaking group is an opportunity to preserve their language. And for the second-generation immigrants – to learn it.
In addition to organizing of the general leisure activities, the organization provides counseling on "peer-to-peer" principle in respect of obtaining asylum. It should be mentioned that such assistance is highly demanded both by those who have already entered the country, as well as those who only plan to do so. Sometimes the situations are quite difficult: for example a lesbian couple with children is going to move out of Russia, but according to the laws of their state, these women are no one to each other -therefore, they are not a family in the understanding of the U.S. immigration authorities. Such cases require a prolonged study of a specific strategy together with the lawyers.
Another direction of RUSA LGBT activities is the organization and conduction of the various public activities: from taking part in preparation of the annual Pride march in New York to making protest actions like those held after the adoption of the law on "homopropaganda" in Russia.
Such organizations are a bright example of how important the development of a civil society is, and what inspiration it can give to our work.
Once again we recall that together with our friends and new partners, including RUSA LGBT, UPO "Gay Alliance Ukraine" plans to start information support and counseling on issues related to obtaining asylum for potential refugees from Ukrainian LGBT community who found themselves in a difficult and/or dangerous situation.
Blog of RUSA LGBT (In Russian)
Press service of UPO "Gay Alliance Ukraine"
Автор: Gay Alliance Ukraine
