IDAHO in Russia
17/05/2011
Submitted by
Maxim Gubin
On May 17, 2011, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, their parents and their children, friends and colleagues in dozens of cities in the world will launch balloons in sign of struggle against homophobia and transphobia.
Russian LGBT Network has traditionally supported the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. For three years on end we invite everybody who is concerned to join rainbow flash mob - the mass action in support of LGBT rights in Russia.
For two years the campaign has taken place in dozens of cities and has involved hundreds of participants. Many people were attracted by Rainbow Flashmob in St. Petersburg. In 2009, almost 250 people took to the streets on Nevsky Prospect, in the centre of the city. In 2010, Rainbow Flashmob was held despite the fact that the ultra right groups planned to disrupt the action and to attack its members. 150 people launched 300 air balloons into the sky.
This year, participants will be handing out leaflets, which are made in the form of medical certificates and report that on May 17, 1990 homosexuality was declared not a disease.
We note that Russian medicine officially switched to the standard WHO - ICD-10 in 1999, but many doctors and most of the population continue to believe that homosexuality is illness. This confusion contributes to the existence of the order of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation № 311 of August 6, 1999, in which heterosexuality was proclaimed the criterion of "sexual norm". This order allows some Russian psychiatrists and psychologists to conduct experiments to "cure" homosexuals.
The founder of the Rainbow Flashmob is an initiative group from Germany.
What is needed for the easiest action:
- tie a postcard with your written message against homophobia to a helium-filled air baloon,
- on May 17th at 7pm local time get together with your friends, parents and strangers to let the baloons fly in the sky over your city,
- picture it with your photo and/or video camera,
- tell a passer-by what's going on / give him/her a leaflet,
- if you're lucky, watch others' baloons fly over the streets,
- post your photo and video reports on the web, tagging them as RainbowFlash2011
Russian LGBT Network has traditionally supported the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. For three years on end we invite everybody who is concerned to join rainbow flash mob - the mass action in support of LGBT rights in Russia.
For two years the campaign has taken place in dozens of cities and has involved hundreds of participants. Many people were attracted by Rainbow Flashmob in St. Petersburg. In 2009, almost 250 people took to the streets on Nevsky Prospect, in the centre of the city. In 2010, Rainbow Flashmob was held despite the fact that the ultra right groups planned to disrupt the action and to attack its members. 150 people launched 300 air balloons into the sky.
This year, participants will be handing out leaflets, which are made in the form of medical certificates and report that on May 17, 1990 homosexuality was declared not a disease.
We note that Russian medicine officially switched to the standard WHO - ICD-10 in 1999, but many doctors and most of the population continue to believe that homosexuality is illness. This confusion contributes to the existence of the order of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation № 311 of August 6, 1999, in which heterosexuality was proclaimed the criterion of "sexual norm". This order allows some Russian psychiatrists and psychologists to conduct experiments to "cure" homosexuals.
The founder of the Rainbow Flashmob is an initiative group from Germany.
What is needed for the easiest action:
- tie a postcard with your written message against homophobia to a helium-filled air baloon,
- on May 17th at 7pm local time get together with your friends, parents and strangers to let the baloons fly in the sky over your city,
- picture it with your photo and/or video camera,
- tell a passer-by what's going on / give him/her a leaflet,
- if you're lucky, watch others' baloons fly over the streets,
- post your photo and video reports on the web, tagging them as RainbowFlash2011
