DIGEST LGBTQ+ ISSUES IN THE BELARUSIAN MASS
The 3rd quarter of 2021 can be presented as a rather quiet period as far as the coverage of LGBTQ+ thematic in the Belarusian media is concerned. Verbal attacks on LGBTQ people were further registered in the media, sometimes without any grounds, but they weren’t furious within the period under review.
A number of media quoted Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who briefly mentioned LGBT, among other issues.
According to Lukashenka’s vision, he is an ‘enemy’ for the West, since as he says, ‘I don’t recognize LGBT-people. I don’t raise rainbow flags’. Mr. Lukashenka doesn’t see any other reasons for the negative attitudes towards him at that.
The previously registered trend of sharing publications, which are full of hate speech in relation to LGBT-people, with the ‘subordinate’ state media continued within the period under review.
Some Leo Branstein developed an idea in his publication ‘Rainbow propaganda. How the West Makes Use of the LGBT Movement for Political Purposes’ that ‘LGBT people are a great cover for Western politicians if they need to disguise their mistakes.’
In particular, the example of US President Bill Clinton was given: ‘At the beginning of the Clinton presidency, it was a complete failure… Naturally, all these problems had a negative impact on Clinton’s rating. Nevertheless, he managed to be elected for a second term. It was under his rule that the active promotion of freedom and permisiveness in the society, and, particularly, LGBT began. Thus, the imaginary ‘struggle for rights’ addresses the important political and often economic interests of certain persons or groups.’
At the same time, it wasn’t noted that the Clinton presidency was one of the most successful periods for the US economy. According to the author’s logic, the Americans elected Clinton only for his support of LGBT values…
This publication was re-posted on the Web-sites of several official district newspapers.
A state propagandist Andrei Mukavozchyk dwelt upon the issue, too.
Such opuses demonstrate that the ridiculed ‘Western’ methods of distracting public attention from some problems by the LGBT-related rhetoric are much more clumsily used by the Belarusian propagandists themselves.
