Russian President is Among Top 3 Homophobes of the Year. LGBTQ-news from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, December 2016, №4

Belarus expects the verdict in the most high-profile case of pedophilia. Russia feels an indignation at facts of Russian orphans’ adoption by foreign same-sex couples. Ukraine is proud of respectful attitude to LGBT people. LGBTQ-news, December 2016, №4.

Gaypress.eu, Volha Kashtsialian

In Minsk, the verdict on one of the largest pedophile scandals in the world will be announced on December 28. A former employee of the President’s Administration Vyacheslav Davidovich is on the dock. However, according to the activist Andrei Makhanko, a gang of pedophiles should be considered — dozens of people, including very high-ranking people. In addition, the case of Davidovich is directly related to the so-called «the case of bike riders”, under which two men have already been convicted for pedophilia in 2014. In the estimation of the police the number of victims of sexual abuse can be up to 8-10 thousand minors.

LGBT teenagers from Belarus are dreaming to leave the country. Fear of unmasking, pressure from peers and older people, lack of support and special services assisting LGBT teenagers — the only solution young people see is emigration. 16-year-old Igor, Anna and Arthur share their thoughts about their ways of life, moments of perception, relations with family and society, their desires and fears.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took the second place in the race for the title of the «Homophobe of the year.» The first place was awarded to the new US Vice President Mike Pence, while the 45th US President Donald Trump was satisfied with the third place. More than 30 000 people participated in online voting worldwide, 52% of whom gave their vote to Mike Pence, well-known for his homophobic rhetoric and actions. As a governor of Indiana, he has allowed entrepreneurs and companies to refuse LGBT citizens in providing service based on the sinfulness of homosexual love.

Chief Rabbi of Tatarstan, Russia considers a gay marriage as «triumph of sin”. According to Yitzhak Gorelik, a same-sex family is an abnormal phenomenon, because it cannot bear children.

«… Thanks God, Russia takes these things traditionally,» — said the rabbi. His beliefs are also shared by Alexander Boroda, the head of Russian Federation of Jewish communities.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged that some Russian orphans have been adopted by foreign same-sex couples. Commissioner for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov said that there “not a lot of” cases have been recorded, but refused to clarify the exact number. However, a «law of Dima Yakovlev», which is banning foreign adoptions by same-sex couples, is in force in Russia since 2013. Furthermore, recently Dolgov personally promised to «meticulously and scrupulously» create a «barrier» for orphans’ adoption by gay couples.

A teacher from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, who has been fired for «homopropaganda», was asked to return to work. Maria S. was dismissed from the musical school a week ago because of complaints of «gay fighter» Timur Bulatov. Bulatov is known for the “dirts” he collects on suspected in support of the LGBT movement. More than 60 people have suffered from his activity. According to the Department of Education, the director of the school was brought to disciplinary responsibility, while the behavior of the teacher is to be checked «on ethics» by the examination of her profiles in social networks.

Russian officials believe that «viewing the video promoting atheism and LGBT» can persuade children to thoughts of suicide. The provided list of symptoms of suicidality includes also the pictures saved from the «webpages denying the moral values, for example, advocating permissiveness, … nontraditional sexual relations …». As reported by the World Health Organization, Russia ranks first in the number of child suicides in the world over the past five years.

The police in Murmansk refused in initiation of criminal case regarding the attack on the office of LGBT organization «Maximum». The incident took place in April 2015, when a group of unknown sprayed pepper gas in the premises of the LGBT center. One of the victims, the LGBT activist Violetta Grudina did not manage to obtain justice neither from local police, nor from the European Court of Human Rights, where she filed a complaint against police inaction. Nevertheless, the activist is not going to surrender, and believes that those found responsible will be punished.

Aleksey Sukhanov, the TV host of Ukrainian talk show «Ukraine is Talking» denied rumors about his homosexuality and expressed support for the LGBT community. Overall, LGBT issues are rather often raised in this TV show, as well as LGBT activists are regularly invited as the guests of the studio.

«Representatives of the LGBT movement are decent, wonderful people who have the honor, conscience, have their habits, their weaknesses, the same as any other person. But they are ordinary citizens, as well as everyone else», — staited Sukhanov. He also noted that

«Ukraine can give a cut above the rest to any country in the former Soviet Union with respect to LGBT people.»