IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR THE RUSSIAN LGBT ACTIVISTS
16/02/2009
Submitted by
Russian LGBT Network
IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR THE RUSSIAN LGBT ACTIVISTS
LGBT Organization Coming Out of St. Petersburg, Russia, has just been officially registered by the government. The organization was formed in April 2008 and is part of the Russian LGBT Network. This is the first case in Russian history when an organization openly announcing as its goal advocacy for the interests of LGBT community is registered by the government on the first try without any court intervention.
Says chairman of the Russian LGBT Network, Igor Petrov, “This is a truly historical moment. First time ever the Russian officials made no attempt to hinder an LGBT organization in its attempt to attain legal status. We believe it to be the first result of the campaign for freedom of association begun by the Russian LGBT Network in 2006.”
In 2006, Tyumen LGBT Organization Rainbow House was refused registration by the government. The government considered Rainbow House to be dangerous for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. The same year, the Russian LGBT Network began its activity. Together with other human rights organizations (the Association “Agora”) it provided aid in the judicial defense of the Rainbow House. In 2008, the case of the Rainbow House reached the European Court of Human Rights.
The Russian LGBT Network also consistently draws attention of the ombudsman and other representatives of the government to the problem of violations of the right of gays and lesbians to form public associations. Thanks to the regular contacts of the LGBT activists with the Russian and the international human rights organizations, this question is constantly raised in the reports by the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and others. The topic of the observance of rights of LGBT people for freedom of association was raised by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg.
The director of the LGBT Organization Coming Out, Valery Sozaev, noted, “Our registration would not have been possible without the support of the Russian LGBT Network and constant consultations with legal experts from the Human Rights Resource Center of St. Petersburg. This is a very important event for us. It opens up more opportunities for reaching our goals, including the opportunity of regular contacts with the government.”
Over the time of its existence, the organization Coming Out in one way or another involved more than 2.5 thousand people by its activities and carried out a large number of successful events.
In particular, on May 3, 2008, Coming Out organized the Day of Silence, as part of the International Day of Silence, dedicated to the problem of silencing discrimination, physical and emotional abuse, hate crimes, and intolerance to LGBT.
On October 11, 2008, it organized the first in Russia Coming Out Day, as part of the International Coming Out Day, dedicated to the issues related to the process of coming out by the LGBT, such as understanding the significance of coming out for the LGBT community and the society as a whole, and the support for LGBT who already came out or those who are about to come out.
In 2009, the organization is planning to continue active work towards achieving full equality for LGBT citizens, aiding the LGBT community in the process of social adaptation, and overcoming homophobia and transphobia in the Russian society. A monitoring of human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity will be continued in St. Petersburg, the organization will take part in the Russian Week against Homophobia, and will continue to develop its educational and informational work.
LGBT Organization Coming Out of St. Petersburg, Russia, has just been officially registered by the government. The organization was formed in April 2008 and is part of the Russian LGBT Network. This is the first case in Russian history when an organization openly announcing as its goal advocacy for the interests of LGBT community is registered by the government on the first try without any court intervention.
Says chairman of the Russian LGBT Network, Igor Petrov, “This is a truly historical moment. First time ever the Russian officials made no attempt to hinder an LGBT organization in its attempt to attain legal status. We believe it to be the first result of the campaign for freedom of association begun by the Russian LGBT Network in 2006.”
In 2006, Tyumen LGBT Organization Rainbow House was refused registration by the government. The government considered Rainbow House to be dangerous for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. The same year, the Russian LGBT Network began its activity. Together with other human rights organizations (the Association “Agora”) it provided aid in the judicial defense of the Rainbow House. In 2008, the case of the Rainbow House reached the European Court of Human Rights.
The Russian LGBT Network also consistently draws attention of the ombudsman and other representatives of the government to the problem of violations of the right of gays and lesbians to form public associations. Thanks to the regular contacts of the LGBT activists with the Russian and the international human rights organizations, this question is constantly raised in the reports by the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and others. The topic of the observance of rights of LGBT people for freedom of association was raised by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg.
The director of the LGBT Organization Coming Out, Valery Sozaev, noted, “Our registration would not have been possible without the support of the Russian LGBT Network and constant consultations with legal experts from the Human Rights Resource Center of St. Petersburg. This is a very important event for us. It opens up more opportunities for reaching our goals, including the opportunity of regular contacts with the government.”
Over the time of its existence, the organization Coming Out in one way or another involved more than 2.5 thousand people by its activities and carried out a large number of successful events.
In particular, on May 3, 2008, Coming Out organized the Day of Silence, as part of the International Day of Silence, dedicated to the problem of silencing discrimination, physical and emotional abuse, hate crimes, and intolerance to LGBT.
On October 11, 2008, it organized the first in Russia Coming Out Day, as part of the International Coming Out Day, dedicated to the issues related to the process of coming out by the LGBT, such as understanding the significance of coming out for the LGBT community and the society as a whole, and the support for LGBT who already came out or those who are about to come out.
In 2009, the organization is planning to continue active work towards achieving full equality for LGBT citizens, aiding the LGBT community in the process of social adaptation, and overcoming homophobia and transphobia in the Russian society. A monitoring of human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity will be continued in St. Petersburg, the organization will take part in the Russian Week against Homophobia, and will continue to develop its educational and informational work.
