Translated material
Overcome your fear
Coordinators and volunteers of the headquarters of the politician Alexei Navalny in different regions of Russia are faced with violent actions. In Kirov, they set fire to the car of the coordinator of the headquarters of Navalny and human rights activist Arthur Abashev. Two men attacked the coordinator of the headquarters of Alexei Navalny in Barnaul, when he went to the city administration to submit an application for a promotion. In Irkutsk, unknown people beat the son of an entrepreneur who leases a premises for the local election headquarters of the opposition Alexei Navalny.
At the end of July, the coordinator of the headquarters of Navalny in Murmansk Violetta Grudin was beaten by the visitor to the institution, which is located next to the headquarters office. The Life publication posted with the information that the headquarters of Navalny in Murmansk headed the LGBT activist and participant of the Euromaidan. The topic was picked up by local media. In an interview with Radio, Liberty Grudin said that she constantly receives threats on social networks from both homophobes and Navalny opponents.
From the threshold, these people called me and my volunteers offended and lowered
- The headquarters of Navalny in Murmansk shares the common area with the institution where young people rest. I will not tell the name of this place so as not to make it advertising. Visitors to this entertaining institution constantly smoke in an wrong place and bind up. At the end of July, I left the headquarters to the common platform and saw that one of the customers of our neighbors was smoking. I asked him to put out a cigarette because there were flammable materials nearby. In response to my request, the man spat at me, and then hit his foot in the face. He accompanied these actions with an offer to buy me stockings and dress. Friends of the guy looked at heroism and did nothing to stop him. The cause of aggression was, as I understand it, my gender-nonsense, unisexual appearance. He said that I look "not like a woman." After the attack, I turned to the police, took off my beatings. The next day, the guy who beat me with friends came to our headquarters. They, as I understood, googled the information about me, because from the threshold these people called me and my volunteers offended and lowered. The guys shouted that I would not be in this city. It was evident that they were confident in their rightness. Apparently, they felt that the truth is on their side because of the law on gay propaganda and homophobic rhetoric of the Russian authorities. They, representatives of the heterosexual majority, enjoyed the humiliation of me and my volunteers. This is not the first time I have encountered violence in the process of human rights and social activities. I, as always in such situations, have been very upset. My hands dropped for a while. And then I decided that there was something to work on.
-What happened after the publication of Life wrote that you were a LGBT activist and a member of Euromaidan, and other media began to reproduce her and call you a “pink ally of Navalny”?
The man spat at me, and then hit me in the face. He accompanied these actions with an offer to buy me stockings and dress
- We can say that now I am persecuted as the coordinator of the headquarters of Alexei Navalny. Local media constantly write nasty things about me (they did this before the publication in Life), focusing on my attitude to the LGBT community. They poured mud on social networks on social networks, they write insults and threats in personal messages. The head of the information and public relations department, the captain of the internal service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Murmansk Region, Marina Valerievna Shikhova, reposted this information on the social network. Apparently, she supports aggression to me. It seems to me that this is unacceptable. Moreover, the information in the note Life and other publications is not true.
Violetta Grudin
-You are not a participant in Euromaidan and not a LGBT activist?
- I am against the accession of Crimea, because it occurred in violation of the law. But I did not participate in the Ukrainian Maidan. Since 2015, I have not been in the LGBT organization “Maximum”. We parted very much in views on human rights activities. LGBT activism is divided into two spheres: service work in the office and public, when LGBT activists stand on the streets with pickets or require permission to conduct a gay parade. The second type of work is more interesting to me. I want to openly talk about equality on the streets. In the LGBT organization, “maximum” began to limit me to the possibilities of organizing public events. I was constantly told about the safety of people who come to the organization. I did not like that now not only the government violates my right to self -expression. I decided not to work in the “maximum” organization and go into individual activism in order to answer only for myself and for my safety.
- Why didn’t they allow you to hold promotions on the street?
I believe that organizations that work for grants could declare more about themselves in public space
-I think that people who work in the majority of LGBT organization for money and grants are beneficial for LGBT rights to violate in Russia as long as possible. Otherwise, employees of LGBT organization will lose their place and salary. I believe that organizations that work for grants could have declared more about themselves in public space.
-Maybe they are afraid because LGBT activists are now at a special risk zone?
-I understand that being a LGBT activist is scary and dangerous. But fear must be overcome.
-So you stopped engaged in LGBT activism?
- I decided to direct my strength to support Navalny in the presidential campaign. It seems to me that it is now important to oppose discrimination of all groups of citizens.
- Why did you decide to support Alexei Navalny, who, in my opinion, is very vaguely speaking about the protection of LGBT rights?
- I follow the activities of Navalny since rallies in Bolotnaya Square and his participation in the elections of the mayor of Moscow. I admired the anti -corruption investigations of Navalny, but could not accept his nationalist views. Some human rights activists turned away from me because they do not like Navalny's nationalist views. I am also against chauvinism and nationalism in a radical form.
The author of the campaign "Quiet Picket" Daria Serenko and Violetta Brand
“But you were able to overcome your doubts?”
- I have not overcome them to the end. But I do not see any discriminatory theses among Navalny's points. In addition to introducing a visa regime with the countries of Central Asia. But I am also to control migration flows. I am for migrants in Russia to work in civilized conditions, and not become victims of an unscrupulous business. In addition, I have opposition views, I am for the change of power in Russia. And now I do not see another candidate for the post of president of Russia.
-It is not embarrassed that Navalny does not speak out unequivocally for the legalization of gay brothers in Russia?
- I know for sure that Navalny talks about the abolition of discriminatory laws. So, he is for the abolition of the law on the prohibition of propaganda of homosexuality. I think that the LGBT community should prepare and transfer its proposals to Navalny. If Navalny is silent in response , this will be a completely different conversation. But I do not see in the LGBT community the desire for dialogue with Navalny as with a candidate for president of Russia. Separate LGBT, of course, support Navalny's campaign. I also think Navalny is not fully aware of what gay marks are.
- Do not repel you that Navalny did not react publicly to information about the persecution, murders and torture of gays in Chechnya?
The LGBT community must prepare and transfer its proposals to Navalny. If Navalny keeps silent in response, this will be a completely different conversation
- Navalny reposted on his twitter, to which a large number of people are signed, this information. And I understand Navalny, who does not want to talk about a problem that is not proven. Navalny lawyer is used to working with texture. I am also silent on this subject, because I can’t rely on the specifics. I am sure that the position of LGBT in Chechnya is very difficult, but in this thread it is necessary to carefully understand, but now there is little information.
- How did your volunteers react after the headquarters of Navalny in Murmansk, which you lead, came to homophobes?
“ They supported me.” There are few people who suffer from any prejudices in the Navalny team. Not that they are not there, but they are in a clear minority. And such people do not have to fight. It is necessary to help them get rid of prejudices, enlighten, inform, explain.
- That is, you are ready to work in the same team with homophobes?
Navalny is supported by people who are tired of the propaganda of hatred
- We are now distributing leaflets on the streets, talking to people. Everyone has their own opinion. Our task is not to dissuade, but to offer an alternative. I think Navalny is supported by people who are tired of propaganda of hatred. They are tired of setting up different layers of society on each other. They want changes. So how much do not write about the coordinators of the headquarters of Navalny's muck, it will not work in power to quarrel Supporters of Navalny. He managed to unite very different people who want one thing: to live in a civilized and free country.
- Have you thought about leaving Russia and living in a civilized country now? So many LGBT activists did.
- Being an oppositionist and LGBT is doubly dangerous. I'm scared too, I value my life. Every time they threaten me, friends advise to flee the country. I do not want and think that I will never do it. Nobody needs me in another country. Here I also do not need me now, but I hope that Navalny will be chosen by the president and everything will be different with him. And I want to do everything possible so that the changes come faster. I believe that society is following the path of progress. For example, once I was a homophobe too, and then became a LGBT activist.
- Are you talking about inner homophobia now?
- I lived in a small city, I was raised in an environment, where it was believed that a woman should be with a man. I did not have information that you can live differently. Heterosexual relations were painful for me, but I did not know that there was a choice. I did not understand myself and did not understand that I was discriminated. I blamed myself in what is happening, not an ignorant environment. I accepted myself late, nineteen years. He told her last guy that the matter was not in him, but in me, and ceased to torment herself. Then I came to LGBT organization, because I wanted to help others accept myself and live without a sense of shame. Now I am engaged in activities aimed at achieving universal respect and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, gender, language and religion.