Quarterly digest LGBTQ+ issues in the belarusian mass media. April – June 2022
The LGBTQ+ issues were scarcely covered in the Belarusian pro-governmental mass media in the 2nd quarter 2022.
At least the intensity of passions subsided. Apparently, the orders were fulfilled, and the implementers calmed down.
However, it does not mean that the LGBTQ community has completely left the agenda of propagandist media, since it is the magic wand that they can always grab onto when they lack arguments.
Still, the second quarter of 2022 appeared to be rather encouraging.
Among other, it is worth mentioning a publication, dedicated to the sensational book ‘Summer in a Pioneer Tie’ on the website of ‘SB. Belarus Today’ newspaper. It is evident that the author of this article didn’t read the book, taking the most striking excerpts from it only. However, the quotes make the best promotion for the book! Thus, unexpectedly for them, the sb.by editorial representatives facilitated dissemination of ‘non-traditional’ values, as they refer to them.
A biting opus on the website of the ‘Civil Accord’ movement can be regarded as another small but pleasant victory. It is clear from the description of the movement that it is not a champion of LGBTQ people: ‘‘Civil Accord’ … advocates for strengthening the alliance with Russia, developing the Union State, maintaining the state status of Russian and preventing the forced imposition of Belarusian.’ Thus, the author of this publication narrated about the closure of the odious pro-government Telegram channel ‘Zheltye Slivy’ (word play — ‘Yellow Plums’ / ‘Yellow Leaks’), in which the so-called ‘repentant’ videos with the forced outing of LGBTQ-Belarusians was repeatedly posted. ‘On the one hand, we seem to be on the same side of the barricades, but on the other hand, there is no need for enemies with such friends’, the author concluded.
The emerging trends in the 2nd quarter of 2022 included a significant decrease in the number of materials on LGBTQ+ topics in independent media, up to the complete absence of any materials in some of them.
Our fears have come true: the LGBTQ agenda is being squeezed out by other news from the media space.
It should be underscored in this respect that independent media have been largely destroyed in Belarus, the survivors relocating to other domain names.
GPress.info Editorial Team
Quarterly digest LGBTQ+ issues in the belarusian mass media. April – June 2022
