What is LGBT as it stands for in the avatar. What is LGBT: the meaning of the community and decoding of the abbreviation

And the first social activists and groups advocating for the rights of homosexuals began to appear in the new science of sexology. These processes occurred especially pronouncedly in Germany.

Stonewall. Radicalization of the movement

Goals of the movement

Repeal of discriminatory laws

Cancellation of criminal and administrative prosecution

Legal status
same-sex relationships in the world

Officially recognized same-sex marriages are registered same-sex marriages are recognized but not performed same-sex partnerships are concluded Not prohibited no regulating laws there are restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly Criminalized de jure illegal, de facto not prosecuted real criminal prosecution imprisonment, including life punishment up to death

In most modern countries, homosexuality or homosexual activity is not considered a crime. In a number of countries in Africa and Asia, homosexuality, manifestations of homosexual activity, or even a hint of it are considered criminal offenses, which are punishable by imprisonment (as in the former USSR) or the death penalty, as in modern Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia (Jamaat territory Al-Shabaab), Sudan, Nigeria (northern states) and Mauritania. In such countries, however, there is no open struggle for the rights of sexual and gender minorities, since participation in it can pose a threat to freedom and life. At the same time, in many of these countries there is lobbying for a relaxation of criminal laws against homosexuals. The lobbyists are reformist and moderate liberal forces in the leadership of these countries. In particular, former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami spoke in favor of easing legislation regarding homosexuals. In addition, these countries are under international pressure to comply with human rights, and among other issues on the agenda (but not the first or most important) is the issue of abolishing criminal and administrative penalties for homosexuality or manifestations of homosexual activity.

In Russia, criminal prosecution was abolished in 1993 as part of the process of bringing legislation into line with European norms, but the victims were not rehabilitated like other victims of the Soviet regime under the laws on victims of political repression, which is currently demanded by LGBT activists and a number of human rights defenders .

Repeal of instructions and regulations defining homosexuality as a medical pathology

The idea of equal rights for gays and lesbians with other citizens presupposes the official recognition of homosexuality as one of the psychological norms in accordance with modern scientific views and official WHO documents (since 1993).

In this regard, LGBT organizations, professional medical organizations, liberal politicians and human rights activists are fighting for the abolition of instructions and regulations defining homosexuality as a mental disorder, and for the adoption of official documents (at the level of the ministries of health of national states and at the level of national associations of psychiatrists and psychologists), unambiguously defining homosexuality as a variant of the psychological norm and prohibiting any “treatment for homosexuality” or “correction of sexual orientation” of healthy people, which are currently recognized as homosexuals, since the harm to patients from such influences has already been reliably proven, and there are reliable facts of “orientation correction” " still no.

In many countries, especially democratic ones, the abolition of instructions and regulations defining homosexuality as a medical pathology or as a sexual deviation has already taken place. In Russia, homosexuality was excluded from the list of diseases on January 1, 1999 (transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, from which homosexuality is excluded).

Cancellation of bans on professions

In some countries there were or are bans on certain professions for people who openly declare their homosexuality. This could be, for example, a ban on representatives of sexual minorities serving in the army or working as a school teacher or doctor. Organizations defending the rights of sexual minorities are seeking (and in some cases have already achieved) the abolition of these prohibitions.

For example, special sociological studies conducted in Western countries have established that the homosexuality of an officer or soldier does not affect combat discipline or the internal psychological climate of the unit. Therefore, there is no reason to deny homosexuals the right to serve in the military.

In Russia, the “Regulations on Military Medical Examination” indicate that the very fact of homosexuality within the framework of this provision is not a disorder and, therefore, is not a disease that prevents military service. According to Article 18 of the Regulations, “sexual orientation in itself is not considered a disorder.” Fitness category “B (limitedly fit for military service)” for homosexuality is applied only in the presence of severe disorders of gender identification and sexual preference that are incompatible with service and the presence of concomitant diseases. Thus, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, such persons have equal rights in relation to military service, but in practice, some military commissariats do not call up homosexuals for military service.

It has also been established that a teacher’s homosexuality does not lead to any complications in relationships with students and does not predispose the teacher to commit indecent acts against students (since homosexuality and pedophilia are fundamentally different things). Therefore, there is no reason to prohibit openly gay people from working as school teachers. The idea of lifting the ban on the teaching profession for openly gay people has been criticized by supporters of conservative views, who believe that the very presence of a teacher with a homosexual orientation in a school teaches children by example, and that in this way homosexuality is “promoted” in school. However, proponents of this point of view do not have any scientific data proving that schools with homosexual teachers produce more homosexual graduates, or that homosexual teachers are more likely to commit indecent acts against students, or that they They teach children worse or cannot build normal relationships with them in the “teacher-student” paradigm.

Lifting the ban on donation

In some countries, there is a ban on blood and organ donation from members of sexual minorities. LGBT organizations are making attempts to challenge this norm and achieve the abolition of discrimination. In 2006, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation undertook to prepare an amendment to repeal this discriminatory policy. On April 16, 2008, the Minister of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Golikova, issued an order “On introducing amendments to the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation of September 14, 2001 No. 364 “On approval of the procedure for medical examination of a blood donor and its components.” Since May 13, 2008, homosexuals have been excluded from the list of contraindications for donating blood and its components.

Respect for human rights regarding LGBT people

Even in those countries in which criminal and administrative penalties for manifestations of homosexuality have been abolished, the practice of human rights violations against homosexuals has persisted for a long time.

LGBT organizations have fought and are fighting not only for the formal abolition of criminal penalties for homosexuality, but also for changing actual police and administrative practices. Including that the concept of “violation of public order” should be equally applied (or not applied) to same-sex and opposite-sex couples kissing or hugging in public places, and that raids on “drug dealers or passport violators” should be carried out non-selectively in crowded places homosexuals.

LGBT organizations are also fighting for the observance of such human rights in relation to homosexuals as the right to peaceful public meetings (including gay pride events), the right to create public organizations, the right to cultural self-release, the right to access information, the right to freedom of speech, the right to equal access to medical care, etc. In Russia, these rights are regularly violated: the police, under various pretexts, raid gay clubs, maintain “lists of gays,” not a single public action in defense of LGBT people has been sanctioned by the authorities, LGBT organizations are denied registration, cultural events of gays and lesbians are often disrupted , there are no programs to implement HIV prevention among gay men.

Passing anti-discrimination laws

LGBT organizations also advocate for explicit reference to sexual minorities in anti-discrimination laws (or for the adoption of separate anti-discrimination laws for sexual minorities). They also seek direct mention of sexual orientation and gender identity in the relevant articles of the Constitutions, guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens regardless of gender, age, religion, or nationality.

Right to register marriage

In recent years there has been a growing movement in support of same-sex marriage. The fact of registering a marriage secures for a same-sex family such rights as: the right to joint property, the right to alimony, inheritance rights, social and medical insurance, preferential taxation and lending, the right to a name, the right not to testify in court against a spouse, the right to act as a proxy on behalf of the spouse in the event of his incapacity for health reasons, the right to dispose of the body of the spouse in the event of death, the right to joint parenthood and upbringing of adopted children and other rights that unregistered couples are deprived of.

Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that according to tradition and religious norms, only a man and a woman can enter into marriage, and therefore the demands of gays and lesbians to recognize the same right for them are absurd and we are not talking about equality of homosexuals and heterosexuals, but about providing homosexuals with a new unprecedented law. Supporters of same-sex marriage point out that marriage registration is a legal action, independent of religious norms (in most modern states, legal and church registration of marriage relations occur separately), and that the law should follow social changes leading to the elimination of inequality between people, as this and occurs over the past centuries, when previously existing prohibitions on registering marriages (for example, between spouses belonging to different faiths or races) were gradually abolished. In addition, the American Psychological Association states that the denial of legal rights to gay marriage is a source of tension for same-sex couples, which has an extremely negative effect on their psychological well-being. Other researchers note that in those countries where same-sex marriage was legalized, there were no significant upheavals in society.

Among the countries that have granted same-sex couples the full right to marry are, for example, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Brazil, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, Luxembourg, USA, Ireland, Colombia, Finland and Germany. Same-sex marriages also take place in England, Wales, Scotland and some states in Mexico. In addition, in many countries, so-called “same-sex unions” are concluded, which are some semblance of marriage, but do not have all the rights that married spouses have. In different countries, such same-sex unions may be called differently. The list of rights and obligations enjoyed by members of such unions also differs (from a full set of marriage rights to a minimum).

Closely related to the right to register a marriage or union is the right to immigration.

Adoption

The LGBT movement is seeking the right to adopt a child of one partner by another partner in same-sex families, the possibility of adoption by same-sex families of children from orphanages, for the possibility of equal access to assisted reproductive technologies for same-sex and opposite-sex families. It should be noted that in many countries where same-sex married couples are granted broad rights, these issues are considered separately.

In accordance with Russian legislation, adoption can be issued for one citizen or for a married couple. The law makes no mention of a citizen’s sexual orientation as a basis for refusing adoption or guardianship, but in practice homosexuals often face refusals. Sexual orientation is also not a limitation to access to assisted reproductive technologies, but a same-sex family has problems establishing the parenthood of a child.

Social activities

LGBT organizations are engaged in social activities, such as organizing various cultural events (film festivals, sports competitions, music competitions and concerts, photo exhibitions, theatrical performances, installations, flash mobs, etc.), the purpose of which is the social adaptation of the LGBT community, the development of its cultural potential, establishing cultural dialogue with the rest of society. In addition, as a rule, any event is educational in nature.

Various books, magazines are also published, and even radio and television broadcasts are conducted.

Separately, there is the organization of services - affordable and high-quality specific psychological, legal and medical assistance to representatives of the LGBT community, helplines, mutual help groups.

Gay nationalism

A special variety in the movement for the emancipation of gays and lesbians is gay nationalism, which proclaims the LGBT community a new nation with its own culture and historical destiny.

Situation in Russia

The first organized movement for the observance of human rights regarding sexual minorities in Russia in the late 1980s was represented by Evgenia Debryanskaya, Roman Kalinin (Association of Sexual Minorities, Libertarian Party), Professor Alexander Kukharsky, Olga Krause (Association of Gays and Lesbians “Wings”). However, this movement quickly faded away.

The 2000s saw a new wave of the LGBT movement. In 2004, the LaSky Project was launched, aimed at preventing the spread of the HIV epidemic among homosexuals, which quickly grew into an interregional project. IN

1. What is LGBT?

LGBT (LGBT) is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of the names of groups of representatives of sexual and gender minorities. It denotes a community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people united by common interests, issues and goals. The LGBT movement is a movement for human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

2. How to talk about LGBT people correctly?

The words “homosexuality” and “homosexual” should be avoided as they carry negative emotional connotations. In Soviet medicine, these terms were used to designate sexual perversion to be treated, and in criminology - a crime to be punished.

Since these approaches are now fundamentally outdated, the use of the word “homosexuality” is incorrect in essence and offensive in form. Think about the fact that there are no words “heterosexual” and “heterosexuality”, but there are “heterosexual” and “heterosexuality”. Therefore, when it comes to sexual orientation, it would be correct to say “homosexual” and “homosexuality” - these are the terms that correspond to their Western European counterparts (English: “homosexual” and “homosexuality”).

In the early 2000s, the neutral word “gay” began to be used more and more actively in everyday life. However, this term does not always correlate with sexual behavior: it means self-identification. A gay is a person who accepts his homosexual orientation, is aware of his belonging to the gay community and culture, as well as the need to defend his rights. By the way, in the West the word “gay” refers to homosexual people of both sexes - both men and women. Moreover, it is often used as an adjective. For example, “gay woman” (“homosexual woman”) or “gay girl” (“homosexual girl”).

In the Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking space, such women prefer to call themselves the word “lesbian,” which goes back to the ancient Greek poetess Sappho (Sappho), who lived on the island of Lesbos and dedicated many poems to her love for a woman.

Bisexual men are called bisexuals, bisexual women are called bisexuals. Both of them together are often called the word “bi” (from the ancient Greek “two”).

The correct terms for people whose biological sex does not match their gender identity are “transgender,” “transgender man,” and “transgender woman.”

3. How many LGBT people are there in Ukraine?

According to various studies, there are from 800 thousand to 1.2 million representatives of the LGBT community in Ukraine. Counting is no easy task, as answering openly a question about one's sexual orientation or gender identity remains dangerous in our country. Sociologists argue that in any society - regardless of its political and social structure, approval or disapproval of homosexuality - the proportion of LGBT people is approximately the same and ranges from 7 to 10 percent.

4. Why are gays and lesbians not visible?

For many gays and lesbians, telling their parents, colleagues and friends about their homosexuality is very difficult. And all because a huge number of myths, stereotypes and various kinds of social stigmas will most likely prevent them from perceiving the information adequately. Relatives are most often afraid of the reaction of others to the fact that there is “such” a person in their family. The question always comes up: “What about the grandchildren?”

In the worst case scenario, loved ones, friends and even parents may stop all contact with the person who has disclosed their homosexuality or transgenderism. Naturally, for this reason, people are in no hurry to let others know the details of their sexual identity.

It is often difficult to admit this even to yourself, because in our society there is a stereotype that to be homosexual or transgender means to be rejected. Alas, this stereotype is difficult to break.

5. Is it possible to change sexual orientation?

History has repeatedly described cases of attempts to “treat” homosexuality using a variety of methods - from electric shock and chemical castration to conversion therapy involving religion.

Needless to say that often such “treatment” was more like torture? In fact, no therapy can change sexual orientation. First of all, because sexual orientation, whatever it may be, is not a disease. This is very easy to understand using the opposite example, imagining a heterosexual man who, with the help of pills, prayers, electric shock and hormone therapy, is trying to make him want other men and feel disgust at the sight of a naked female body. Difficult? That's it.

6. Why hold gay pride parades?

Gay Pride is an entertaining procession in the form of a fun carnival. There have been no gay pride parades in Kyiv, and there are no plans to do so in the near future. Kyiv is not the Brazilian Sao Paulo or the German Berlin: the Ukrainian LGBT community has nothing to celebrate yet by organizing carnivals.

Instead, an Equality March is organized annually in Kyiv, which has nothing in common with the carnival. This is a public action within the framework of the International LGBT Forum-Festival “KyivPride”. The Equality March is a human rights march in which ordinary people take part: representatives of the LGBT community, their friends and human rights activists. Participants in the Equality March are not necessarily homo-, bi-, or transsexual people themselves.

The Equality March is not about entertainment. This is about respecting the rights and freedoms of every person in our country. Sexual orientation and gender identity are a private matter for everyone, but human rights are an issue that is extremely important for the entire society. Because freedom either exists for everyone or does not exist for anyone.

7. What is Pride?

The English word "pride" means "pride". In English, the connotations of this term can vary, and if a person says “I'm proud to be gay” (literally translated - “I'm proud to be gay”), this does not mean that he considers his sexual orientation more “worthy” than any other. This phrase should be taken in the context of “I am not ashamed of who I am and accept myself as such.”

LGBT pride can consist of holding public events, for example, the Equality March, as well as various cultural and intellectual events of closed or semi-open content - exhibitions, film screenings, public discussions, educational sessions.

8. Who discriminates against LGBT people?

Representatives of the LGBT community are subject to discrimination in various spheres of life. The most painful is the so-called family discrimination, when young children, sometimes minors, are kicked out of home after learning about their sexuality. Of course, gay and lesbian adults are also familiar with discrimination. Thus, representatives of the LGBT community may be fired from work without reason, denied employment, suddenly terminated a rental agreement, kicked out of a cafe, expelled from a university or other educational institution.

LGBT people suffer regular abuse, extortion and blackmail at the hands of unscrupulous law enforcement officials. Sometimes criminals choose representatives of the LGBT community as potential victims of assaults and robberies, based on the fact that they, out of fear for their reputation, will not complain to law enforcement officers. Moreover, since 2011, legislative initiatives began to appear in the Ukrainian parliament, one after another, which proposed to establish institutional (that is, emanating not from society, but from the state) discrimination based on sexual orientation. We are talking primarily about a number of bills that prohibited the dissemination of information about homosexuality in the public space. In other words, these were documents about legalized discrimination against LGBT people and their transformation into second-class citizens at the level of state policy.

Transgender people are often victims of even greater discrimination because their appearance differs from the majority's idea of what a man or woman should look like. In addition, gender reassignment treatment procedures for transsexuals in Ukraine are extremely burdensome and discriminatory. For example, only those transsexuals who are not married and do not have children can undergo these procedures.

9. Which LGBT rights are being violated?

Unfortunately, Ukrainian society and Ukraine as a whole are still very far from adhering to the implementation of Article 28 of the Constitution in everyday life. This article states that every citizen has the right to respect for his own dignity. Considering LGBT people as second-class citizens, as “sub-citizens,” our compatriots violate the fundamental human rights of members of the LGBT community at various levels.

The following rights are violated:

1) for housing (parents can kick a gay minor out of the house);

2) on healthcare (it happens that doctors refuse homosexuals, and especially transgender people, adequate medical care);

3) for education (they may be expelled from an educational institution without reason);

4) for work (thrown out of work, not hired without reason);

5) on personal integrity (aggressive attacks on people because of their sexual orientation);

6) impartial treatment (blackmail, extortion by law enforcement officials; refusal to provide any commercial services);

7) non-disclosure of confidential information (information about sexual orientation may be disclosed to third parties);

8) to create a family (people do not have the opportunity to legalize their family relationships on the territory of Ukraine).

And this is not a complete list.

The problem is that such a large social group as homosexuals and bisexuals of both sexes are almost completely ignored in domestic legislation - as if they do not exist in nature. We have a wonderful anti-discrimination clause in the Constitution, but human rights to equality regardless of sexual orientation are not expressly protected in that clause.

We have a law “On the fundamentals of preventing and combating discrimination in Ukraine,” but it never mentions sexual orientation or gender identity. Our Family Code completely ignores the 150 thousand same-sex partnerships that exist unofficially in Ukraine, when people lead a joint household, living under the same roof as a family and, in many cases, raising children.

In the practice of criminal proceedings, it is believed that a sexual relationship between a 100% gay man and a woman is “natural” for him, but a relationship between two gay men is unnatural for either of them.

It’s good that the State Statistics Service several years ago had enough common sense to cancel the useless statistical registration of “minor homosexuals” (yes, this is exactly the kind of registration that was carried out by the internal affairs bodies at one time!).

So, we need to thoroughly cleanse the legislation of the remnants of Sovietization and bring it into line with current social realities and European norms. Only then will everything begin to change for the better.

10. What does your organization do?

The all-Ukrainian public organization “Gay Alliance Ukraine” has been operating since 2009, has more than 15 regional offices in many regions of the country and successfully implements many interesting projects.

We are currently working with topics such as:

Promoting the implementation of fundamental human rights and freedoms, countering homophobia.

Development of the LGBT community.

Informing society about LGBT and human rights issues.

Helpline for LGBT people.

Support for women's initiatives.

Promoting the development of civil society and other useful activities.

We try to be in constant contact with the LGBT community and promptly respond to their requests. Therefore, the projects we carry out are relevant and result-oriented.

11. Who supports you?

LGBT people, like many other social groups, face unfair treatment, violation of equality, or, in legal terms, discrimination.

In recent years, discriminated groups in Ukraine have become much more supportive of each other. We cooperate with representatives of women's organizations, public figures who advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of refugees and religious minorities, the rights of people living with HIV, the rights of prisoners, etc. We are supported by our colleagues and like-minded people from many countries around the world, including a considerable number of international political figures. For example, the Council of Europe's High Commissioner for Human Rights, or the head of the European Union's foreign policy department, Baroness Catherine Ashton, as well as outstanding world-class philanthropists like Elton John.

We also receive partial support from the Ukrainian authorities: most recently, the Ukrainian judiciary adopted recommendations according to which people cannot be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation in the field of labor relations.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. You've probably heard or seen the abbreviation LGBT more than once in magazines and newspapers, but not everyone understood what was hidden behind these four letters (although you guessed it 🙂).

Today I will try to explain in simple words what it is, how this abbreviation stands for, and tell other information on this topic.

What is LGBT and what does it stand for?

Let's figure it out.

According to Wikipedia, LGBT is an acronym used to refer to all sexual minorities: lesbians, gays, bisexuals and.

The designation came from the English language, where LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. The abbreviation has been used since the 90s of the 20th century to unite all representatives of non-traditional orientation in order to tell the world about its different sides.

The goal of the movement under this name is the fight for the rights of sexual minorities, and the motto “My life - my rules” encourages others to consider gay people as full members of society.

Flag color and other symbols of the LGBT community

Now that you know what LGBT means, it's time to talk about the symbolism of the movement. There are several distinctive signs that help representatives of non-traditional sexual minorities stand out; they are regularly used in gay pride parades and other events.

Among them:

LGBT activists and the fight for equal rights

In principle, this knowledge about LGBT (decoding each letter of the abbreviation and information about symbolism) will be enough for most readers (for general, so to speak, development). But I still briefly propose to talk about the activists of the movement.

The leaders of this movement are seeking recognition of the rights of sexual minorities in each specific country at the legislative level.

Activists, in order to popularize their views, organize gay pride parades, demonstrations, and others in order to win people over to their community.

In addition to stories about LGBT, what it is and what goals it pursues, they try to draw attention to the problems of modern sexual minorities in society.

Priority Goals movement activists:

the possibility of representatives of non-traditional orientations for social adaptation;
reducing the level of hostility, attacks and insults towards LGBT people;
providing timely medical care to transgender people, homosexuals, lesbians;
the opportunity to enter into official same-sex marriages and have children;
equality in all areas of activity, including when applying for work or studying at a higher educational institution.

In the European Union and the United States, LGBT activists have achieved their goals. Gay pride parades are periodically held in China, Venezuela and even Turkey, where the majority of the population professes Islam.

This is a deplorable situation for gay people and strict Muslim countries like Iran, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia, where homosexuals are sometimes physically destroyed.

Many celebrities do not hesitate to openly declare their orientation and actively fight for equal rights for members of sexual minorities, setting an example for others.

Here are a few famous personalities who did not hesitate to reveal themselves:

Elton John. The singer committed (confessed to homosexuality) back in 1976, when even Western countries were not so loyal to homosexuals. Now Sir Elton John is officially married and has children.
Tom Ford. The famous designer admitted to being gay in 1997, later married a man, and since 2012 they have been raising a child together.
Thomas Hitzlsperger. In the sports world, people are still afraid to admit their non-traditional sexual orientation, fearing misunderstanding from fans and potential employers. German footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger played for clubs such as Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, Westham, Wolfsburg and Everton, after which he ended his playing career and admitted to homosexuality.

How do LGBT people live in Russia?

In Western countries, children are taught “about this” (what this concept means) from an early age, and explained that such people also have the right to self-expression (which is not bad). Another thing is that lately it has become more like an advertisement such a way of life as more correct (which is absurd).

In Russia, representatives of sexual minorities face not only homophobia (although this does happen), but intolerance on the part of the population and government towards advertising and popularization of deviations. Officially at the legislative level Propaganda prohibited non-traditional sexual relations among persons under 18 years of age.

Gay pride parades, same-sex marriages, direct or indirect support for LGBT people - all this is an unaffordable luxury in Russia. Representatives of sexual minorities most often have to hide their orientation, and there is no opportunity for them to create a family at the official level.

Tolerance, but not the creation of a cult (IMHO)

Now you know more about this topic and which celebrities openly talk about their homosexuality, and how do they relate to sexual minorities in Russia. I’ll dwell a little on the latter.

Now in the United States there is an acute problem (all of their major media outlets write about it) - men. This may seem strange to us from Russia, but for our rights it has distorted the situation so much that men in the United States now find themselves practically powerless and are slowly “degenerating.”

In South Africa, the situation with the struggle of the black population for their rights led to a completely opposite result. Now apartheid there is the opposite - the white population is practically deprived of all rights and is openly discriminated against.

Once you accelerate, it is very difficult to stop and not tip the balance in the other direction.

It will lead to the same sad result aggressive fight for the right to “normality” of the LGBT community. This needs to be understood and taken into account. It’s one thing to cultivate a tolerant attitude in society (it’s not people’s fault that nature has decreed it this way) and another thing to “pump up rights,” as feminists have done for decades in the States.

Therefore, I am impressed by Russia’s balanced approach to this issue. But that doesn't mean you have to agree with me. It is even good when there are many opinions, because this allows you to achieve the most.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

Family orders

Everyone plays a role in life: in childhood we are sweet daughters and beloved sons, now someone plays the role of a mother or a newly-made husband. What role are you now responsible for? Does the role of your husband change to that of your wife if he, for example, prepares dinner or performs part of your (socially accepted) duties? Hardly. The picture of the family world of homosexual couples is identical, the actors are the same. Without agreeing, one partner is responsible for the comfort in the house, and the second for calm and protection.

My colleague suggested that people from the “same planet” understand each other more easily and better. This is probably true. But, having observed the couples, I was seriously surprised how the temperament and attitude of the opposite sex are sometimes clearly expressed in a girl or a man. Completely harmonious, by the way.

Children

Straight people are very lucky, gays and lesbians have it not so easy. Sperm banks and adopted children come into play.

At some point, many of us want and are ready to devote ourselves to children, homosexual couples are no exception, I know two lesbian couples with children. Their kids are no different from their peers whose parents are straight. They are social, healthy mentally and physically, they have exactly the same amount of warmth and love as in ordinary children.

Just like in classic couples, there are those who do not (yet) think about children.

Loyalty

As one of my acquaintances told me: “there is a myth among straight people that gays and lesbians maintain only open relationships and often change sexual partners.” The fundamental word here is myth.

In my close circle there are 5 married couples, 3 of which are homosexual and have been living in a civil marriage for more than 5, or even 8 years. These families deserve respect; their relationships will be the envy of many straight newlyweds.

In some way, they fought for their love.

Sex

The attitude towards sex does not depend on the choice of a partner - isn’t this obvious?

I was sincerely surprised by the opinion that sex for the LGBT community means absolutely nothing. If you prefer, for example, running to swimming, does this affect your life beliefs and, even more so, your attitude towards sex?

The LGBT community, like the whole world, includes completely different people, and many of them have developed quite strict beliefs about the family and sexual side of life.

The hardest thing

Unfortunately, in Russia society not only does not accept LGBT people. This group is ostracized and humiliated. The state is against gays and lesbians.

And some of those gays, whose happiness was once destroyed by the attitude of loved ones or groups of homophobes, cannot stand it mentally.

If you tell a person every day that he is a fool, he will become one. If every day they tell you that you are a disgrace to your family and you need to be treated, you will hate everything around you and at least once you will say: “Why am I not like everyone else?”

Many of us know how painful it is for us to lose loved ones, how difficult it is to restore a broken heart. But few straight couples and singles know what it's like to live someone else's life.

It’s also difficult for those surrounded by happy, straight couples who subtly hint: it’s time for you to get married. And you, willy-nilly, look for a partner of the opposite sex, remaining unhappy, often living someone else’s life.

Choice

Why did you become gay is, in my opinion, the stupidest question 🙂 Why were you born a boy? 🙂

I don't know the true answer. The only thing I am sure of is that this is not a disease, as they thought in Soviet times.

My personal opinion is that every person in adolescence makes his own choice, falls in love or feels interested in someone. And this choice is laid down from birth. Blaming the fact that a child is homosexual, a bad father or an unfortunate environment, in my opinion, is the wrong decision. I've heard many stories, and they are all different. And if you are gay or lesbian or transgender, this does not always mean that your family was not happy enough.

Another interesting assumption, as my friend says. We are all straight until the moment X. This phrase suggests that everyone is bisexual by nature. Perhaps I will agree with this :)

Appearance

As it turns out, there is a certain well-established opinion that if a family consists of two girls, then one of them should look and dress like a man, or almost. I don’t know if this myth applies to male couples.

Undoubtedly, taking on a certain role in the family, the partner may look more reserved and casual. Or vice versa - feminine and romantic. But we should not forget that this is still the love of two women or men in their classical presentation.

I once had a chance to attend a gay parade in London. Any girl would bite her elbows at the sight of those gays and would envy the chic appearance of the girls performing in the lesbian group.

Russia/America

No one here will be surprised by a same-sex family. I was lucky enough to attend Christmas dinner with the landlady of my apartment in New York. You should have seen my eyes when, passing through the room, she introduced me to her brothers and sisters, at the same time introducing me to my sisters' wives and brothers' boyfriends. This country is fundamentally different in its attitude towards minorities when compared with Russia.

Gay friends explained it to me this way: this is freedom of action, basic safety, openness and goodwill of people. Here the LGBT community has equal rights with everyone. All my life I will be surprised and upset that somewhere some people are respected, while others are beaten with sticks.

MARRIAGE

In Russia, homosexual couples can only exist within their own home; they do not have the right to legalize their relationship. It would seem that there is no big problem. But everyone forgets about emergencies, when your loved one suddenly ends up in the hospital, or something else happens. At this moment you are nobody, you have no right to get into his room or be responsible for him. Official MARRIAGE gives many privileges and rights in such situations.

In America, LGBT people can register their MARRIAGE by standing in line with other couples.

Help

This block is for those who worry about their children and don’t understand them, but really want to. For those who are afraid to open up to their loved ones and talk about belonging to the LGBT community.

There are secret LGBT support groups in every city in Russia; they are not so difficult to find. I was at such a meeting once. There you can meet completely different people, the only thing that unites them is that they want to support their loved ones or need help themselves. No one will judge you, you will hear many personal stories and many lived moments. And you will never be alone!

Every person has the right to personal feelings and a happy life according to their own convictions. Every year, more and more people do not hesitate to openly express their preferences, and the public is slowly but surely replacing anger with a more loyal attitude towards LGBT people.

Turning to Wikipedia, the acronym LGBT symbolizes all sexual minorities: lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. This abbreviation began to be used at the end of the 20th century in order to create an emphasis on different aspects of sexuality and gender identity. The meaning of LGBT is to unite gay people with common hobbies, goals and problems. The main goal and intention of LGBT is a movement for the rights of gender and sexual minorities. Referring to Wikipedia, the community's motto reads: "My life - my rules", which translated into English means "My life - my rules."

The community has several signs that differ in meaning and are created, first of all, so that people can stand out from the crowd. We can highlight the most common LGBT symbols:

Who are LGBT activists?

In every community there are leaders who perform important tasks for the LGBT movement. Activists are trying to ensure that changes are made to the legislative framework and attitudes towards minorities are changed. . This is extremely significant for those who wants to have the opportunity to socially adapt in society. Activists are busy organizing parades, flash mobs and other events to win over the public towards the LGBT community.

LGBT - pros and cons

People who argue for or against same-sex marriage support their views with moral and legal arguments, but few of them consider the science in this matter, which provides enough food for thought. Arguments in favor of same-sex steam:

Arguments against the existence of LGBT people:

according to research by psychologists and sociologists, same-sex couples do not create adequate comfort for the child, in particular, families without fathers;
homosexuality has not been sufficiently researched and studied scientifically, especially for children raised in legal same-sex marriages;
sexual minorities are destroying traditional gender roles formed back in the Stone Age.

Discrimination against the LGBT community

Sexual minorities are subject to oppression in various areas of life. Discrimination manifests itself in families and in society. LGBT rights are violated when people belonging to sexual minorities are fired from work without reason, expelled from educational institutions, etc. There are countries in which discrimination manifests itself even at the legislative level: there are state bans on the dissemination of information about homosexuality. Some minority rights that are violated by society or the law:

transgender and gay people are denied medical care in some hospitals;
Unreasonable problems arise at work and in educational institutions;
attacks and beatings by some young people who show aggression towards minorities;
inability to officially start a family;
Personal information about sexual orientation may be disclosed to third parties.

LGBT and Christianity

Attitude towards the rights of sexual minorities usually associated with different beliefs of churches:

What is a festival of sexual minorities (gay pride)

Gay Pride is an entertaining procession in the form of a fun festival. The goal of the festival is the visibility (coming out) of LGBT representatives, the protection of human rights and civil equality, regardless of sexual orientation. The term is in the title gay- a particle of an established expression and is used not only in relation to gays, but also to other representatives of the LGBT community.

Festivals are held in more than 50 countries around the world, even in such conservative ones as Turkey, China, Lebanon, India, Venezuela and others. The festival can act as carnival or human rights demonstration, depending on the situation.

The festival in most countries is the most significant part of the “gay pride” or, simply put, “pride”, which is held in a variety of forms: from fairs to picnics. Traditionally, such events are held in June as a tribute to the Stonewall riots, during which thousands of sexual minorities protested against police repression. This event became a symbol of the fight for civil rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Gay celebrities

Many celebrities do not hide their sexual orientation, without hesitation to tell the world about it. They often actively fight for the rights of the LGBT community. They are an example for many who, for some reason, are embarrassed to reveal themselves to the people around them and society as a whole.

Elton John. The singer announced his sexual orientation in 1976, but this negatively affected his career. Now Elton and his official partner David Furnish are raising two sons.
Tom Ford. In 1997, the designer revealed his sexual orientation and is currently married to Richard Buckley, who was previously the editor of Vogue Hommes International. Since 2012, the couple has been raising a son.
Chaz Bono. At the age of 18, the daughter of the singer Cher confessed her true sexual orientation, and later Chastity Bono (now Chaz Bono) was subject to gender reassignment procedures. Later she was an author in a magazine for sexual minorities and even published a book. Singer Cher supports LGBT people and is proud of her daughter.