Short Analytical Summary about trends in life of Russian gays and lesbians for the year 2006
03/01/2007
By
Mikhail Syromolotov, Moscow Gay Organizations
SHORT ANALYTICAL SUMMARY ABOUT TRENDS IN LIFE OF RUSSIAN GAYS AND LESBIANS FOR THE YEAR 2006 and the SEASONAL GREETINGS
Seasonal Greetings, dear friends,
In run-up to the Upcoming Year, 2007, we are glad to inform you that Russia’s officials did not take any serious steps against gay community last year. In this connection the life of gays and lesbians did not become worth and these are good news!
Today, Russia is a country where gays and lesbians have ceased to be officially discriminated social groups, but the government still turns a depth ear to their needs. As earlier, any actions intended to create and form social movements or to hold campaigns are persecuted cruelly by executive and judicial authorities of the country under pretext of violation of order of application.
Nothing changed in major aspects of social life of gay community in Russia:
1. There were no any new legal acts related to gay community, passed by the legislation.
2. Social conscience of gays and lesbians in majority is still amorphous. Wide groups of gays and lesbians are not educated both in simple same-sex relation issues, and in existence of gay movement, principle of its operation and provided services. The gay movements themselves are weak and not numerous.
The reason is still the same – impossibility to carry out social activities openly.
3. Low social activity of gays and lesbians as before is a consequence of state policy aimed at ignoring of gay community. Long-term lack of public ideology reoriented young generation. Money-making is a general social idea for plenty of people. That is why search for volunteers for public organizations is quite complicated.Principle of payment to specialists is the only possible way to attract volunteers to Russian public gay-organizations.
4. The number of crimes in relation to gay-men is high taking into account impossibility of gay-men to go to law-enforcement agencies. The reasons are that the applicants realistically doubt the impartiality of law-enforcement agencies and fear that they would give publicity to their sexual orientation.
5. Official Russian human rights movement does not bring up and does not consider the issues of discrimination of gay community and gay movements. Large gay-publications existing today offer entertainments only.
6. The level of public intolerance towards gay community did not change significantly.
7. Psychiatrists and psychologists trend mainly to support the idea of psychological and psychiatric disorder of gay representatives. Official representatives and religious concessions show open intolerance.
New social events of the life of gay community for 2006 are as follows:
1. Single gay-leaders triggered public actions, which had no role to play and had no public support. However, such actions are of great significance to the future development of Russian gay-movement. The Moscow Gay Parade was one of considerable action.
2. The idea that there is no reason for competitive struggle between leaders of gay-organizations and the organizations has strengthened:
- essential results are equal to zero;
- gays and lesbians step aside from participation in public movement;
- organizations are drawn away from their prime activities.
There was no such understanding recently and the leaders of famous gay-organizations just appealed to stop casting reproaches and malignant gossips against each other and would start them once again.
3. This year the new feature in competitiveness of organizations working with gay community put in an appearance. Such competitiveness took on special features of business-competitiveness. The main demonstration of such competitiveness may be defined as follows:
- The gay-conference scheduled by the Moscow gay-clinic and gay-organization was upset not by authorities but another gay-oriented organization in particular attracting corrupted authorities under the threat of closure of the clinics, employee layoff and termination of rent.
- The competitors organized unofficial vigil attracting religious representatives and the most radical youth groups against one of the famous Moscow gay-clubs.
4. Local authorities of different regions follow policy of diverse attitude to gay organizations. The government of the greater part of Russia has nothing against business aimed at service to gay community and at the same time suppresses formation of public organizations and holding of campaigns. In such way the policy of ignoring of gay community keeps on going that results in problems with self-identification.
5. There is a stronger trend of consolidation of gay organizations reflected by this Short Analytical Summary being a vivid example of such consolidation.
Dear Friends,
We express solidarity with gay and lesbian movements of Europe.
Next year we hope to improve the situation in Russia.
We cordially congratulate you, our friends and colleagues, and wish the upcoming year to bring you happiness and public recognition.
Also we wish you enjoy mere human pleasures and family happiness.
GAYSER Gay-Youth Community, gay organization,
ZDOROVIE Medical Center, gay Clinic,
GAYLY.RU – gay-portal,
NEMO gay-sauna,
MAYAKOVKA-SPA gay-sauna,
ZAMSHA gay-club.
Seasonal Greetings, dear friends,
In run-up to the Upcoming Year, 2007, we are glad to inform you that Russia’s officials did not take any serious steps against gay community last year. In this connection the life of gays and lesbians did not become worth and these are good news!
Today, Russia is a country where gays and lesbians have ceased to be officially discriminated social groups, but the government still turns a depth ear to their needs. As earlier, any actions intended to create and form social movements or to hold campaigns are persecuted cruelly by executive and judicial authorities of the country under pretext of violation of order of application.
Nothing changed in major aspects of social life of gay community in Russia:
1. There were no any new legal acts related to gay community, passed by the legislation.
2. Social conscience of gays and lesbians in majority is still amorphous. Wide groups of gays and lesbians are not educated both in simple same-sex relation issues, and in existence of gay movement, principle of its operation and provided services. The gay movements themselves are weak and not numerous.
The reason is still the same – impossibility to carry out social activities openly.
3. Low social activity of gays and lesbians as before is a consequence of state policy aimed at ignoring of gay community. Long-term lack of public ideology reoriented young generation. Money-making is a general social idea for plenty of people. That is why search for volunteers for public organizations is quite complicated.Principle of payment to specialists is the only possible way to attract volunteers to Russian public gay-organizations.
4. The number of crimes in relation to gay-men is high taking into account impossibility of gay-men to go to law-enforcement agencies. The reasons are that the applicants realistically doubt the impartiality of law-enforcement agencies and fear that they would give publicity to their sexual orientation.
5. Official Russian human rights movement does not bring up and does not consider the issues of discrimination of gay community and gay movements. Large gay-publications existing today offer entertainments only.
6. The level of public intolerance towards gay community did not change significantly.
7. Psychiatrists and psychologists trend mainly to support the idea of psychological and psychiatric disorder of gay representatives. Official representatives and religious concessions show open intolerance.
New social events of the life of gay community for 2006 are as follows:
1. Single gay-leaders triggered public actions, which had no role to play and had no public support. However, such actions are of great significance to the future development of Russian gay-movement. The Moscow Gay Parade was one of considerable action.
2. The idea that there is no reason for competitive struggle between leaders of gay-organizations and the organizations has strengthened:
- essential results are equal to zero;
- gays and lesbians step aside from participation in public movement;
- organizations are drawn away from their prime activities.
There was no such understanding recently and the leaders of famous gay-organizations just appealed to stop casting reproaches and malignant gossips against each other and would start them once again.
3. This year the new feature in competitiveness of organizations working with gay community put in an appearance. Such competitiveness took on special features of business-competitiveness. The main demonstration of such competitiveness may be defined as follows:
- The gay-conference scheduled by the Moscow gay-clinic and gay-organization was upset not by authorities but another gay-oriented organization in particular attracting corrupted authorities under the threat of closure of the clinics, employee layoff and termination of rent.
- The competitors organized unofficial vigil attracting religious representatives and the most radical youth groups against one of the famous Moscow gay-clubs.
4. Local authorities of different regions follow policy of diverse attitude to gay organizations. The government of the greater part of Russia has nothing against business aimed at service to gay community and at the same time suppresses formation of public organizations and holding of campaigns. In such way the policy of ignoring of gay community keeps on going that results in problems with self-identification.
5. There is a stronger trend of consolidation of gay organizations reflected by this Short Analytical Summary being a vivid example of such consolidation.
Dear Friends,
We express solidarity with gay and lesbian movements of Europe.
Next year we hope to improve the situation in Russia.
We cordially congratulate you, our friends and colleagues, and wish the upcoming year to bring you happiness and public recognition.
Also we wish you enjoy mere human pleasures and family happiness.
GAYSER Gay-Youth Community, gay organization,
ZDOROVIE Medical Center, gay Clinic,
GAYLY.RU – gay-portal,
NEMO gay-sauna,
MAYAKOVKA-SPA gay-sauna,
ZAMSHA gay-club.
