Elton John is going to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for a kiss. LGBTQ-news from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, December 2016, №2

In Belarus, the prize for the best anti-discrimination articles of 2016 were awarded to Natalia Kostyukevich. In Russia, transgender woman, who has spent 22 days in the men’s prison, is released. In Ukraine, the campaign for Ukrainian Fashion Week is dedicated to variety and tolerance. LGBTQ-news, December 2016, №2.

Gaypress.eu, Volha Kashtsialian

The best anti-discrimination reporter-2016 was announced in Belarus. The award was given to TUT.BY reporter Natallia Kastsiukevich (Benitsevich) for two publications «A Story about a Common One-Sex Family Living in Belarus» and «It’s not Your Body. A Life Story about a Girl Born as a Boy in Belarus». In total, the international Belarusian-Swedish jury of the contest has considered more than 30 journalist materials, submitted to the contest by 11 Belarusian journalists from 9 mass media.

In Novocherkassk, Russia a transgender woman Albina Matyunina (by passport — Alexei Matyunin) was released from the men’s pretrial detention center, where she had spent 22 days. 23-year-old woman was arrested in November, when she tried to get a new passport. Due to the attention of mass media and the support of a lawyer, she was kept in solitary confinement cell. Matyunina has received two years suspended sentence for stealing of 1.8 thousand rubles in cash from the store in 2011, but in 2013 the ase was dismissed by the court.

An appeal court in Novosibirsk confirmed the illegality of the refusal to hire a homosexual woman.  The court put on the defendant the obligation to conclude a contract of employment and provide the compensation for moral harm to the plaintiff equal to 1,000 rubles. The woman has applied for a manager position in the company twice, and both times the application was denied by the same reason — because of » non-traditional sexual orientation.» The employer argued that woman’s homosexuality could «negatively affect the company’s image, hinder the direct duties…» and lead to losses.

The court in Lyubertsy, Russia rejected the right of a transgender woman Pasha K. to be a parent for her son. Such a decision was ruled without a forensic psychiatric examination, which was required by court itself in order to establish whether the woman’s psychological condition may negatively affect the child. The plaintiff accused the court in prejudice. Most of all Pasha was outraged by the adversary psychiatrist’s statement that «by changing the sex, the woman has abolished the child’s father inside herself,» and by the question — «So what will be the benefit from you to child?

Elton John is going to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for a kiss. That is how the musician responded the question «what would he say if he met the President» in Victoria Derbyshire’s show on BBC. Earlier in 2015, Elton John was spoofed by Russian pranksters, who called him on behalf of Kremlin. Then a real phone conversation was placed between the President and musician, during which Putin expressed his willingness to meet Elton John.

Two Russian same sex couples have won «gold» and «bronze» medals in the tournament in ballroom dancing «11th Rainbow Trophy», which was held in Hanover, Germany.

«The peculiarity of the German tournament is that male and female couples compete together. Female couples are always more flexible and graceful, while men have better rhythm and athletic performance. And chose of the winner is up to the judges — it is difficult to predict their preferences…» — said one of the participant Evgenii.

Men continue training in the run-up to the world championship in Miami.

46% of Ukrainian citizens are in favor of limiting the LGBT rights; almost 27% of LGBT people faced discrimination — these are the results of a survey among 2002 respondents throughout Ukraine, held from 22 October to 6 November 2016 by the fund «Democratic initiatives named after Ilka Kucheriva».

Under the campaign for the 20th Ukrainian Fashion Week (UFW) the organizers are going to draw attention to the ideas of humanism, freedom, equality and dignity.

«We should use fashion influence! And talk about global things, using every opportunity. Lack of tolerance, racism, homophobia, imposing standards… If we do not change — we die…» — said the head of the UFW organizing committee Irina Danilevskaya.

The campaign aims to show that all people are different, but all people are beautiful,  and we have more in common than different.

The mayor of Lviv, Ukraine Andriy Sadovy admits the existence of the LGBT community in the city and believes that this fact must be considered. But at the same time, he opposes same-sex marriage.

«I am a Christian. There is a clear position of the church, and I am in solidarity with it. Of course, I am against [same-sex marriage],»— said the mayor.

Regarding Equality Festival in Lviv, disrupted by neo-Nazis in March of this year, Sadovy calls it a provocation and thinks that it «was done in order to make a picturesque scene.»

The Equality Festival aiming to bring together different social groups around the ideas of equality, human rights and non-discrimination was held in Kiev. This year, the festival program included exhibitions, film screenings, performances, workshops, lectures, meetings with LGBT parents, interactive games for children, and electronic music party. The event was carried behind closed doors, without the intervention of the radicals. Starting in Kiev the festival will tour other cities of Ukraine.