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2008 - LGBTQ+
initiative group
COMING OUT IS FOUNDED IN SAINT PETERSBURG
Russia
- A new law on «foreign agents» has been adopted: it is not necessary to receive funds to receive the status, it is enough to be «under the foreign influence»; those who are affiliated with «foreign agents» also fall into the register of the Ministry of Justice.
- New Law on «LGBTQ+ propaganda» passed: Any event or action deemed as an attempt of «propaganda of homosexualism», including on the Internet, in movies, books, advertising or in public, can result in a heavy fine (up to 70,000 euros).
- The head of the State Duma Committee on Family and Children Affairs has prepared a bill on criminal liability of up to 5 years in prison for repeated violation of the ban for «LGBTQ+ propaganda».
- The State Duma deputy proposed to fine 400 thousand rubles for «propaganda of non-traditional attitudes or preferences» of ordinary citizens.
Coming Out
- For security reasons, Coming Out relocated the team to Europe but continues to work with an audience that remains in Russia.
- The first online «Queerfest» was held.
- A support group for LGBT+ immigrants has been launched.
- At least 10 reports were submitted to international bodies for the protection of human rights.
- A study was conducted among LGBTQ+ people who emigrated from Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine.
- A course on trans*inclusiveness for NGOs and businesses was created. A training course on equal counselling for trans* people has also been developed.
- Training courses for services for selecting psychologists for working with LGBTQ+ clients have been launched.
- 3 times more consultations were conducted compared to previous years: 650 legal and 2300 psychological.
Russia
- A survey by the «Levada Center» showed that 33% supported «equal rights for gays and lesbians in relation to other citizens», another 59% were against it, and 8% found it difficult to answer.
- A man in the guise of a drag diva filmed a video in the courtyard of his house and was beaten, the attacker wrote a statement on the victim about committing lewd acts with shooting. In fear of the consequences, the victim refused to report to the police.
- Six activists from Russia have won a case in the European Court of Human Rights that the member states of the Council of Europe are obliged to legalise queer unions.
Coming Out
- The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation declared Coming Out a «foreign agent».
- Coming Out forwarded a report on how the Russian authorities treat gender issues and the rights of LGBTQ+ people to an independent UN expert.
- Coming Out forwarded information about cases of violations of LGBTQ+ rights in Russia to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, one of the OSCE institutions.
Russia
- State Duma prohibited transgender people from marrying and adopting children.
- The Ministry of Justice began recognising unregistered initiative groups as «foreign agents». Of the 10 recognised, 6 were LGBTQ+ initiatives.
- The Constitution of the Russian Federation enshrined the powers of the federal centre and regions to protect the family as a union of a man and a woman and also enshrined the right not to comply with decisions of international bodies such as the ECHR.
- Russia received a call from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to protect lesbians after two Saint Petersburg residents became victims of a homophobic attack. Despite this, the authorities refused to investigate the incident.
Coming Out
- A few days before the Queerfest, a homophobic blogger urged his audience to call the police and complain about the event, causing the police to come to the festival every day, and the venues turned down one by one.
- Anonymous testing for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis launched at the office of Coming Out.
- Launch of a hotline for LGBTQ+ tourists during the UEFA EURO 2020.
Russia
- The Ministry of Justice began declaring individuals as foreign agents: politicians, musicians, human rights activists, journalists, historians, bloggers, etc.
- The European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA-Europe), in its «Rainbow Europe» rating, put Russia in 46th place among 49 European countries in terms of homophobia.
Coming Out
- Coming Out secured a guilty verdict for homophobes who beat and robbed French LGBTQ+ tourists during the World Cup.
- Together with other human rights NGOs, Coming Out collected data for the OSCE report on hate crimes.
- When on the day of Pride, 12 LGBTQ+ activists were detained for single-person pickets, the lawyer of Coming Out defended all the detainees.
Russia
- A beneficiary of Coming Out, an LGBTQ+ activist from Saint Petersburg, Yelena Grigoryeva, was killed after her profile was found on the homophobic site pila.ml, which called for violence against LGBTQ+ people.
- A group of politicians proposed legalising de facto marriage in Russia. The bill was defeated due to concerns that it might legitimise the rights of queer families.
- In Saint Petersburg, the police disrupted the showing of a documentary performance about LGBTQ+.
Coming Out
- Launch of creative master classes for children from LGBTQ+ families.
- The 10th anniversary of «Queerfest» took place.
- Launch of a career counselling program for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Russia
- The Ministry of Justice began declaring the media «foreign agents». Many independent media have either shut down or received status.
- The European Court of Human Rights found the Russian law «On Prohibition of Propaganda of Homosexualism» discriminatory.
- Guardianship authorities seized foster children from Francis, a transgender man from Yekaterinburg. The reason for the start of the proceedings was the operation to remove the mammary glands. Despite the fact that Francis did not change the gender marker in the documents and, in order to return the children, denied being transgender in court, the children were removed from the family. They were adopted by other people.
- The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has published a draft order on a new procedure for obtaining a «sex change certificate» and a new form of it, which would significantly complicate the process of changing documents.
Coming Out
- «Trans*Mission» began to conduct consultations for transgender people and their loved ones and also got the Ministry of Health to change the project of new procedure for a «sex change certificate», and as a result, the order came into force with significant amendments.
- Achieved allowance to hold public LGBTQ+ actions in hyde-parks without approval.
- For the first time in Russia, Coming Out began to challenge in court the dismissal of transgender women after changing the gender marker in the documents if their profession was available for men but prohibited for women.
Russia
- The Russian authorities refused to issue a residence permit to foreigners if the residence permit is requested based on a «same-sex marriage» with a citizen of the Russian Federation. The ECHR ruled that in such case an expulsion of one of the partners from the country violated the rights of the couple.
- According to «Pew Research Center» study, support for «same-sex marriage» in Russia was one of the lowest among countries in Central and Eastern Europe: 5% favoured recognition, and 90% were against it.
Coming Out
- Launch of the program «Hate Crimes Investigation» in relation to LGBTQ+ people.
- «Strategic Litigation» began to pay more attention to working with the media and informing the public about the real state of affairs of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.
- Launch of a safe space «Queer Environment» for transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people.
- Launch of counselling for other LGBTQ+ initiatives in Russia.
Russia
- Human rights activists from Human Rights Watch stated that in Russia, the federal law banning «gay propaganda» continued to be used to suppress LGBT events.
- The law «On the Prohibition of the Adoption of Children by People Who Entered into a Same-Sex Marriage Abroad» came into force.
Coming Out
- Coming Out sent a request to the Ministry of Health of Russia about medical indications and conditions that must be met in order to change the gender marker in documents in the absence of an established certificate form.
- The Discrimination Monitoring Program has begun monitoring discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ people in everyday life: at work and school, in medical institutions, in the family, etc.
- The LGBTQ+ «Parent’s program» has been renamed to «Rainbow Families». Support groups with a psychologist, out-of-town trips and holidays have been added.
- After substantial research on the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, Coming Out launched the program «Trans*Mission».
Russia
- Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe expressed serious concern that the majority of LGBT events in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Costroma and Astrakhan were banned under a federal law prohibiting «propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations».
Coming Out
- Launch of the program «Strategic Litigation», dealing with legal cases of LGBTQ+ people.lth of Russia about medical indications and conditions that must be met in order to change the gender marker in documents in the absence of an established certificate form.
- Meetings were held with the police and representatives of the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Saint Petersburg to ensure security during the «Rainbow Flash Mob».
- The most difficult year for «Queerfest»: Venues turned down right on the day of the event, homophobic activists led by a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg V. Milonov sprayed gas in the «Queerfest» hall and poured green paint on the participants of the event.
Russia
- The federal law was passed «About the Prohibition of LGBTQ+ Propaganda Among Minors».
- At the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Russian delegation refused to adopt anti-discrimination legislation based on sexual orientation.
- The State Duma and the Federation Council approved the law «On the Prohibition of the Adoption of Children by Same-Sex Couples».
- Cases of law enforcement agencies refusing to register crimes against LGBTQ+ people became more frequent. the law «On the Prohibition of the Adoption of Children by Same-Sex Couples».
Coming Out
- Problems arose with the coordination of the «Rainbow Flash Mob» campaign, these were solved in the courts.ng with legal cases of LGBTQ+ people.lth of Russia about medical indications and conditions that must be met in order to change the gender marker in documents in the absence of an established certificate form.
- Participants of «Parent’s club» with journalist Andrey Loshak visited pride in Stockholm and filmed the movie «Pride and Prejudice» for the TV channel Rain (Dozhd).
- The Court of Saint Petersburg declared Coming Out a «foreign agent» and fined the organisation half of a million roubles. A week after Coming Out overturned the status of «foreign agent» in the court.
Russia
- The law against «propaganda of homosexualism» came into force in Saint-Petersburg.ssed serious concern that the majority of LGBT events in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Costroma and Astrakhan were banned under a federal law prohibiting «propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations».
- The first law about «foreign agents» came into force: it is enough to receive any amount of money from another country and conduct public activities to obtain status.
- LGBTQ+ activists were fined according to the law «About Separate Measures for the Protection of the Morals and Health of Children» for holding a public action in Arkhangelsk.: it is enough to receive any amount of money from another country and conduct public activities to obtain status.
- 9th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth ended in a scandal due to a Russian veto on the adoption of the joint declaration, which contained requirements to combat discrimination against LGBTQ+
Coming Out
- Coming Out appealed a law «About propaganda» in court. The City Court of Saint-Petersburg dismissed the complaint, Supreme Court of RF agreed with City Court.
- Action «Rainbow flashmob» was attacked by radical orthodox and far-right activists; the flashmob participants were sprayed with pepper spray and shot with a gas pistol. 2 buses with LGBTQ+ activists were crushed.e of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Saint Petersburg to ensure security during the «Rainbow Flash Mob».
- Launch of the juridical help for LGBTQ+ people.es turned down right on the day of the event, homophobic activists led by a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg V. Milonov sprayed gas in the «Queerfest» hall and poured green paint on the participants of the event.
- «Queerfest» was visited by diplomats from Western countries and representatives of the apparatus of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Saint Petersburg.+ people.es turned down right on the day of the event, homophobic activists led by a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg V. Milonov sprayed gas in the «Queerfest» hall and poured green paint on the participants of the event.
Russia
- The Legislature of Saint-Petersburg approved a bill against «propaganda of homosexualism», imposing a fine for the spread of information about LGBTQ+ people.pressed serious concern that the majority of LGBT events in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Costroma and Astrakhan were banned under a federal law prohibiting «propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations».
Coming Out
- Started 6-months campaign against the bill and achieved wide support of media, civil society and the European Parliament, as well as 4 months of delay of adoption of the bill.
- Launch of a program «Monitoring of discrimination» about discrimination of LGBTQ+ in Saint-Petersburg.
Russia
- The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women made recommendations to Russia to develop anti-discrimination legislation and strengthen the fight against discrimination against LGBT people, in particular through educational programs.
- The European Court of Human Rights held the Russian government responsible for violating the right to freedom of assembly in connection with the authorities' refusal to allow gay pride parades. Despite the fact that the final decisions of the ECHR are binding, in May the gay pride in the center of Moscow was once again dispersed.
Coming Out
- The Committee for Culture of Saint-Petersburg exerted pressure on a planned venue for «Queerfest» so that a day before the event, it had to be urgently moved to another place. The banner at the exhibition was ruined on the festival day, and organisers received letters with threats.
- Launch of the program «Parent’s club» for parents of LGBTQ+ people.
- Launch of the project «Movement of LGBT-parents» for the advocation of interests of LGBTQ+ families with children.
Russia
- Russia put forward three resolutions aimed at the promotion of «traditional values» to the UN Human Rights Council.
- The UN Human Right Council noted the cases of violence by law enforcement agencies against LGBTQ+ Russian citizens.
- LGBTQ+ activists in Riazan run a campaign against homophobia and discriminative prohibition of informing about LGBTQ+. Organisers were fined for violating the law about the «Protection of the Morals and Health of Children».
- A bill on criminal liability for the «propaganda of homosexualism» was submitted to the State Duma, but it did not pass.
Coming Out
- Launch of the psychological service for LGBTQ+ people.
- Launch of the program «LGBTQ+ parents».
- The first «Queerfest» was held in Saint Petersburg.