"Homophobia flourishes." A kiss drawing was equated with propaganda

Popular public publics " Russian LGBTS " and "Russian LGBT Community " on the VKontakte social network were blocked by a court decision in St. Petersburg on October 2. The court considered that in these groups there is information "denying family values that promotes non -traditional sexual relations and forms disrespect for parents and (or) other family members."

There is pressure on the LGBT community not only in large cities of Russia. The public organization of socio-psychological and legal assistance to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people "LGBT+ Productive Group" Paradise ", Arkhangelsk" in July 2019 was charged with propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations for drawings on the walls of their commander-center.

Yuri, an activist of the “angle” (he asks not to name his last name), says that the court blocking popular LGBT Pliks is a restriction on the freedom of dissemination of information that complies with the laws of the Russian Federation. “Most likely, these are“ sticks ”: the end of the year, and the prosecutor’s office is trying to close empty places in the reports. I can’t answer for other communities, but our activities will continue,” he said to the north. Real.

Figure for a million

The drawing of kissing young people hangs on one of the walls of the Community Center "Truck" for more than a year. Its cost is one million rubles. It was such a fine that threatened with a public organization if the court recognized the image with the propaganda of homosexuality.

-The police considered the propaganda of the image of girls and young men on the walls of the center, as well as the brochures seized during the inspection for journalists and specialists working with LGBTs. We declare that LGBT+ PROSKAS initiative group does not propagate. The community center is a safe space for LGBT+ and heterosexual people, as well as their family and friends, where you can get information and support, contribute to the development of the community, said the leaders of the perspective.

The guys from LGBT originally come there, what propaganda can be there?

The check in the community center was in March 2019. The reason, according to representatives of the police, was a complaint "about the propaganda of non -traditional sexual relations among minors conducted in the" perspective ".

According to Yaroslav Varenik , this happened on the day when journalists from Norway came to the organization - they collected material about social problems in Russia.

“And just on the day on which they agreed to go to the“ angle ”, the initiative group was searched,” says Varenik. - The police seized leaflets, were quite rude in communication. I was also present during the search, then I got into the perspective of the "angle" for the first time. This is a closed room in which like-minded people gather, receive support, some knowledge. I don’t know what propaganda we are talking about. The guys from LGBT originally come there, what propaganda can be there?

During the inspection, the organization seized several brochures, business cards, two hard drives and incomplete questionnaires of discrimination cases. Representatives of law enforcement agencies also checked the documents at that moment in the center of visitors - they were all adults.

The situation was aggravated after the adoption of the propaganda law, some took it as a signal, that we were some kind of not like, tolerance has decreased

Who exactly complained about the center’s work, is not known in the “angle”. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Arkhangelsk Region, a message about the need to verify from the commission on minors of the Solombal territorial district of Arkhangelsk. The initiator was the deputy chairman of the commission Elena Alferova . Alferov did not explain her motives for the editors of the North. Realia.

A few months after the check, police officers drew up a protocol on an administrative offense under the article "Propaganda of non -traditional sexual relations among minors." In the very center, they did not understand what their faults were.

“The drawings will remain, since I do not see propaganda in this,” commented the head of the Prirkaz initiative group Yuri . -Of course, we have problems, in society the situation has aggravated after the adoption of the law on propaganda, some took it as a signal, that we were some kind of not like that, tolerance has decreased. This is for some a reason for aggression. Verbal humiliations, and possibly the use of force.

At the end of August, it became known that the court rejected the police claim, since the protocol did not indicate how "the specific content, name or appearance (form) of a particular literature placed in the room indicate the propaganda or imposition of any beliefs." They are sure that the police will not stop there and the pressure on the organization will continue.

Foreign agent

The Arkhangelsk Trex became part of the Russian LGBT movement in 2007. The Office of "Testament" is located in the very center of the city - any person over 18 years old can come here.

Today, more than 20 activists and volunteers are in the "perspective". They help "overcome the social isolation and stigma of LGBT+ people." The center conduct English courses, art therapy classes, film screenings, meetings of transgender people, consultations with a lawyer and a psychologist, and even self-defense courses. All events are for voluntary donations.

It is not easy to work in Arkhangelsk “The Truck”: the organization is constantly under the control of the authorities. In September 2011, the Arkhangelsk Regional Assembly of Deputies was one of the first in Russia to amend the regional administrative code prohibiting the propaganda of homosexuality. Explaining the need for such a legislative initiative, its author - deputy Alexander Dyatlov - mentioned that "the activity of this organization [" angle "] implies cultural support, including the promotion of homosexuality with the support of grants of foreign funds."

We decided to liquidate a public organization and continuing activities without registration

LGBT community and human rights activists then expressed their protests in connection with the adoption of the law. Several young people attacked one of the activists during a single picket. A few years later, in December 2014, the “perspective” was recognized as a foreign agent.

“Since we did not want to continue activities as a foreign agent, that is, according to the rules imposed by the state, we decided to eliminate the public organization and continue activities without registration as a legal entity,” explained Yuri, head of the perspective of the perspective.

The language of enmity

The news about the initiation of an administrative case regarding the "angle" caused a resonance among the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk.

I attribute myself to LGBT+, but this does not complicate my life, never complicated, not counting the reproach from my parents

According to Irina Raevskaya , the accusations made against the organization are unfounded, since no one forcibly forces people to visit the community center.

“In general, the atmosphere is friendly in the“ angle ”,” says Raevskaya. - Recently, the attitude towards LGBT in Arkhangelsk has become better, attacks and accusations, of course, have not disappeared completely, but they have become many times less. People began to understand and accept the "non-traditional" orientation of people as not something / other / wrong, but as something that is simply there and what cannot be changed by force. I attribute myself to LGBT+, but this does not complicate my life, never complicated, not counting the reproach from my parents, but that’s all.

Homophobia flourishes here

“LGBT in Arkhangelsk is treated in the same way as throughout Russia,” homophobia flourishes here, ”says Yaroslav Varenik. - People are pounced on everything that deviates from their picture of the world, built on the foundation of traditionalism. Long hair, homosexuality, polyamoria, fullness - it does not matter that most people will immediately begin to spread rot for this.

Opponents of the LGBT movement personally refused to communicate with journalists. But on social networks, the activities of the "angle" were actively criticized. Among the comments on the news about the accusation of the organization of propaganda of non -traditional sexual relations were the following:

"You must be more careful in all pictures and inscriptions.
Well done, police! TV show, the people's actress says that when they studied in the theater (in the last century), one teacher was blue. By the end of training, all the boys in the group were blue. All this is not harmless. "

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"There is nothing to disseminate this information on the Internet! It means that the group is loyal to this. Yes, this is propaganda, hidden. Everything is correct. The law is the law. And Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors) is needed! And from the information posted it is clear that still hidden propaganda took place, since there is a denial of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation."

***

"Do not confuse tolerance with permissiveness, so the Nazis will justify the Nazis. And I will soon have the ninth granddaughter, and I do not want my grandchildren to even show pederastical families and weddings. And even in order to crown in the church ...... My tolerance while they are in their burrows, but as soon as this begins to impose this" exclusive people "to me. I will not. "