From 16 till 20 of July 2013 employees of APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine” paid a working visit to Saint Petersburg (Russia). The representatives of APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine” (Stanislav Naumenko and Vladimir Naumenko) held a number of meetings with members of the Russian NGOs, such as International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival “Side by Side”, LGBT-organization “Coming out”, St Petersburg branch of Russian LGBT network, community center of LaSky project on HIV prevention.
The trip took place within the project “Achievement of the equal rights for LGBT” under the financial support of The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA.
Ukrainian and Russian colleagues discussed opportunities of cooperation against discrimination on the grounds of SOGI, as well as implementation of the common projects.
Russian colleagues on LGBT movement pointed out that after the adoption of two laws by Gosduma (“On non-profit organizations” and “On propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”) the work of NGOs in the homophobic legal field became simply impossible. The activities of LGBT organizations nearly paralyzed. Against all the activists, human rights defenders and NGOs who spoke publicly in support of LGBT filed lawsuits and assigned penalties. Continuous tax police and prosecutors mass checkups of NGOs as legal entities who now have a status of "foreign agents" [who work by means of donations received from abroad, Ed.] completely "block oxygen" to the public sector.
Thus, for example, on July 6, 2013 in the trial of the lawsuit against the prosecutor's office in St. Petersburg, International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival “Side by Side” was recognized as “foreign agent”, operating on the territory of the Russian Federation without relevant registration and fined 500,000 RUB (around 15,000 $). In the nearest future “Side by Side” expects a litigation and fine towards festival director. On June 19, 2013 after checkup by the prosecutor's office and accusations of political activity, LGBT-organization “Coming out” was recognized as “foreign agent” and fined 500,000 RUB. And on June 25, 2013 it was found guilty of violation of the law on "foreign agents" and its head Anna Anisimova was sentenced to pay a fine of 300,000 rubles. Collection of donations to pay fines is still ongoing.
“Under these circumstances of the total suppression of any activities to support LGBT rights, Russian activists believe it is important to study the experience of Marxist circles and underground organizations of the Socialists at the beginning of the XX century, e.g. the experience of Mattachine Society and Harry Hay, – Stanislav Naumenko shared his impressions of the trip. – Russian colleagues pointed out that the rigid homophobic policy of the authorities is forcing community to determine its position: to emigrate or get engaged in the fight for their rights openly. State propaganda of homophobia leads to inciting hatred among the general population, and as a consequence – to human casualties”, – marked Stanislav Naumenko.
Автор: Press Service of APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine”
