The research conducted by the Russian LGBT Network at the end of 2018, fully describes the situation with LGBT rights in Russia. More than 80% of the respondents stated that they could reveal information about their sexual orientation and gender identity only to their friends. Every tenth respondent experienced physical abuse. More than a half reported about at least one violation of their rights in 2018.
Five Russian LGBT organizations and groups (Russian LGBT Network, Alliance of heterosexuals and LGBT for equality, “Coming Out” LGBT group, LGBT group “Stimul”, International LGBT film festival “Side by Side”) and crowdfunding platform All Out teamed up to counteract the homophobic project “Saw” together. The coalition launched a petition demanding to establish who is behind the project calling for violence and killings of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people in Russia. The coalition also calls for a thorough investigation into the murder of civic activist Elena Grigorieva.
On July 1st an LGBT activist Alexander Yubors (Salnikov) was charged with spreading “propaganda of homosexuality among minors”. Based on police officers’ and so-called “Center against extremism” actions, originally, they had been gathering information to prosecute Alexander for organizing an illegal march. However, on June 28, he was stopped on the street and handed a subpoena to appear before Department of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Kirovskiy district of Yaroslavl to draw up a protocol under article 6.21 of the Administrative Code (“propaganda of non-traditional homosexual relations”).
52 Russian and International human rights organizations (including the Russian LGBT Network) signed the statement about the fact that Russia jeopardize online freedoms all over the world. The representative of Article 19 delivered the Statement at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Genève.
On May 19th, GENDERDOC-M organized the annual march of equality in Chișinău, under the campaign Fără Frică de Iubire(Without the fear to love). However, unlike the last years’ experience, the march that included approximately 350 participants was able to reach its destination without being attacked and evacuated halfway through the route. The Ministry of Interior provided all necessary protections for the participants and despite the aggressive outbursts of the counter-protestors, the Pride march was not exposed to any violence.
A year has passed since the publication of first testimonies of LGBT people that faced persecution in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. However the unlawful detentions, humiliation and torture of LGBT people in Northern Caucasus persist. There are some things one can do to support the victims of the state-organized persecutions of LGBT in Chechnya.
