2008

 

Financial totals: the budget was within 60 €.

 

March – in # 9 of “Lifejournal” (p. 58), Armenia, was published an article titled “Boys don't cry” (material provided by Norayr, revised by Kirill).

 

May, 4 – we held a seminar called “Transition in Russia: Pictures of Life” at the 2^nd European Transgender Council in Berlin (Kirill spoke, Kellan assisted).

 

May, 14 – we finally became an official Group and chose a name!

August, 4 – www.trans-armenia.blogspot.com was created by Norayr.

 

August, 6 – we were the only respondent from Russia to submit answers to a survey from the Human Rights Watch for the organization's report "Together, Apart" (funded by the Arcus Foundation), which describes the worldwide situation of LGBT people. On September, 11 we sent our comments to HRW on a draft of the organization's report "Together, Apart".

September, 19 – we translated excerpts about the upcoming 21^st Biennial Symposium of WPATH, put it on this site, and exchanged links with www.wpathoslo2009.com (see the “Register now” section).

September, 30 – we met with representatives of the group “LGBT Rights” and agreed to pursue joint work.

October, 6 – we finally designed and adopted our Logo!

October, 7 – we spoke at the discussion panel “Revisiting the Parades – What is the next step for the Eastern European LGBT movement” organised in New York City (USA) by the “Campaign Against Homophobia” ("KPH", Poland) and supported by the Human Rights Watch (presented by Kellan).

October, 11 – we sent out an e-invitation to the WPATH Symposium to all major sex reassignment specialists in Russia and several other countries in the former USSR.

October, 16 – we sent a letter to the Russian Network of LGBT organisations regarding “Basics of the development strategy of the LGBT movement in Russia”. Our incentive came from lack of appropriate representation of trans community in Russian LGBT organisations and, as a result, insufficient maturity of the Strategy on T-issues.

November, 4 – we submitted our answers to the APA Survey on revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (known as DSM). We supported the elimination of transsexualism from the DSM V as we don’t recognise this state as a mental disease.

November, 7 – we joined the "LGBT-Russia" Google mailing group to represent and lobby for the trans position within the group.

December, 5 – the MFA of Russia registered our request to support the UN Joint Statement on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. On January 26, 2009 Director of Department on Humanitarian Collaboration and Human Rights of the MFA of Russia gave us the following answer (citing the operative part):

     The Joint Statement is not an official document of the UN General Assembly, it is a form of expression of opinion on the issue by a number of states.

     Russia consecutively states its view against any discrimination, intolerance, repressions and acts of violence in relation to minorities. We act on the premise that human rights are universal. While stimulating and promoting them, historical, cultural and intellectual values traditional for different civilizations and legal systems are taken into account. The approach to those issues is being built on the basis of already existent principal universal documents on human rights stimulation and protection.

 

2009

 

Financial totals: the budget was within 2000 €.

 

January, 14 – we submitted an abstract for a presentation on trans health care to the Scientific Committee of the XIX WAS World Congress of Sexual Health. On March, 9 our abstract was accepted! Presentation is scheduled for June, 22 at 2:30 p.m., see http://www.sexo-goteborg-2009.com/program.php#02, OP1.7 Disorders, Transexuals.

 

January, 18 – we held in Moscow a seminar called “From Transsexualism to Transsexuality” (author and presenter: Kirill, with organizational support from the group “LGBT Rights”). There were correspondents of “Moskovskiy Komsomolets” newspaper and “NTV” television company among attendees of the seminar. On February, 5 “MK” published an article about the seminar titled "In Moscow will work a public trans" with a number of significant inaccuracies. Specifically, there wasn't mentioned the name of our Group and the title of the past seminar during which we were talking about evolution of views and why transsexualism shouldn't be considered mental disease. On February, 10 the "NTV" channel broadcasted a programme "Confrontation" where an FtM Ignat (the name is changed) appeared. Inter alia, the programme has informed that Ignat had the end stage cancer. In fact, luckily, it was a first stage, and in early March Ignat undergone a surgery and soon after that he has got a job.

 

January, 19 – we spoke during a live broadcast of “Uncut and uncensored” on the LGBT radio “Rainbow” to sum up the results of the seminar together with group “LGBT Rights” and to answer the key questions of the audience.

 

January, 25-February, 1 – we took part in “Loosening the Grip of Heteronormativity: How Students can make a change” Study Session organised by ANSO (Association of Nordic LGBTQ Student Organisations) with support of Directorate of Youth and Sport, Council of Europe. Within the bounds of the Study Session we visited the Council of Europe and met an Advisor of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

January, 28-February, 1 – we attended the “2009 Creating Change” Conference in Denver (USA) organised by National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. It is always nice to meet co-minders from different fields of activity who advocate equality, the same as we do.

 

February, 6 – we attended the 23^rd Annual IFGE Conference in Washington DC (USA). It was especially pleasant to meet Dr. Kelly Winters, Ph.D., a founder of the Gender Identity Disorder Reform Advocates, who decidedly supports elimination of transsexualism from the list of mental diseases, the same as we do.

 

March, 7 – we supported an Appeal to the UN, the WHO and the States of the World calling to "Reject Transphobia, Respect Gender Identity". On April, 10 The 1^st International Internet radio station for LGBT persons and their friends "Rainbow" joined the Appeal, and on April, 23 The Interregional Movement for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexuals' Rights "LGBT Rights" did so.

 

March, 12-17 – we held written negotiations with Mr Nikolay Alekseyev, Vice President of the IDAHO Committee, a.k.a. Moscow Pride organizer. As this year the Day changed its name to the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Mr Alekseyev expressed his wish to hold a seminar against transphobia but never informed us about the topic and if the seminar took place.

 

April, 14 – we met with Senior Human Rights Advisor of the OHCHR Country Team in Russian Federation and discussed perspectives of OHCHR work for transsexuals' rights.

 

April, 17 – we spoke during a live broadcast on the LGBT radio “Rainbow” to mark the Day of Silence, to tell about our written negotiations about the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) with Mr Alekseyev and our plans for IDAHOT.

 

April, 29-May, 2 – we took part in "Transgender Rights & Capacity Building" seminar organised by ILGA-Europe in conjunction with Transgender Europe in the European Youth Centre in Budapest (Hungary). It was especially pleasant to meet with our colleagues from Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

 

May, 25 – we held an open discussion "Transsexuals have right!" timed to IDAHOT [International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia].

 

June, 22 – our representative read a presentation titled "Making the transition in transgender medicine: From research to quality care" at the 19^th WAS World Congress for Sexual Health (you can look through LGBT topics, which were presented at the Congress).

 

July, 1 – was started our epic to clarify details of "the murder of MtF" in Volgograd which was reported within the bounds of the Liminalis project. On June 23, 2009 Moscow boulevard newspaper "Life" published an article "The husband has killed his wife when he found out that she was a former man. The couple had been living happily for two years" which was further reprinted in a number of Russian media. Because of that, the article was mentioned in solid Western media, including "Spiegel Online", which, though, pointed out the boulevard character of the origin. We defined more accurately from our friends in Volgograd if there was any data on the reported murder directly on site. There was no data. Considering that and also inaccuracies made in the article (MtF from Volgograd went to have sex reassignment surgery in Australia???), we believe the story with the murder is fabricated. On June, 29 there was published an article "Russie: L’histoire bidon de la trans’ assassinée par son mari à Volgograd". However, that wasn't the end of the story.

 

July, 21 – we sent to the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Mr Samuel Žbogar our commentary on the press release 398(2009) "Concern over Moscow Pride Parade". On July, 22 our action was supported by the LGBT radio "Rainbow".

 

August, 10 – we published the first version of the English-Russian dictionary "Gender Identity: A guideline for translators". Since then it has run into several revisions.

 

August, 13 – we finished an authorized translation into Russian of "Transgender experiences – Information and support" brochure, which was developed by the doctoral collective of the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES), UK, and approved by the Department of Health of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The same day we started an examination of peculiarities of sex reassignment in Russia with coordinator of "Legal Assistance" programme of IAM "Russian LGBT Network" Ms. Ksenia Kirichenko. Judgements on sex reassignment issues by regular courts that we provided were used at the "Organization of legal assistance for LGBT" seminar, which took place on August, 29 and 30 in Saint Petersburg.

 

September, 2 – we provided to "Labrys" (Kyrgyzstan) gratis Russian-language package of materials on the sex reassignment procedure in former USSR countries to be reviewed by the task group for regulation of the sex reassignment procedure under the Ministry of Public Health of Kyrgyz Republic. In particular, we included there our translation of Ukrainian legislation that regulates medical aspects of sex reassignment procedure.

 

September, 7 – the only from Russia, we were registered as a participant of "Stop trans pathologization: Goal 2012" campaign.

 

September, 11 – we sent an authorized translation into Russian of "Transgender experiences – Information and support" brochure to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, with a copy to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and to the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. On December, 6 we received from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development a reply explaining peculiarities of the statistical count of disorders under F64.0 in the ICD-10.

The same day we sent a request to the Commission for Health care under the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. In reply, we have received several notifications on the progress of our request, including the last one from November, 8, but the final reply on the matter of the request is not received so far.

 

September, 23 – we sent an authorized translation into Russian of "Transgender experiences – Information and support" brochure to the Ministry of Telecommunications of the Russian Federation, with a copy to the Federal Ombudsman of the Russian Federation and to the Head of the Social Complex of Moscow.

 

October, 6 – we took part in a monitoring of rights in education conducted by GALE – The Global Alliance for LGBT Education. The monitoring reflects the aims of educational systems of States as regards to LGBT [lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals], gender differences and gender roles, that is things, which recently are often referred to as gender education.

 

October, 7 – we finished our joint work with Global Rights, USA, on the Shadow Report "Violations of rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Russia". The main goal of the Report was the analysis of infringements of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. For us, the Report became a good opportunity to summarize all collisions with the mass media in 2009, to explain an imperfection of the Russian legislation in case when a transsexual person has to change, for instance, a work records card, and also to point at the lack of enlightenment for our teachers in sex change issues; etc.

 

October, 21 – in a City psychotherapeutic polyclinic # 223 of Moscow took place a professional conference titled "Emotional experiences, medico-psychological, psychotherapeutic and psychosocial support in transsexualism".

 

October, 22 – we took part in a webinar titled "Civil Society and the UPR [Universal Periodic Review]".

 

October, 23 – the first Russian version of the Issue Paper of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe "Human Rights and Gender Identity" was published. Considering the quality of translation and consequent revisions, we strongly recommend to use the English original of the document.

 

October, 29 – the UN Human Rights Committee formulated the final observations on countries as totals of the 97^th session. Our Shadow Report from October, 7 was taken into account and led to recommendations to the Russian Federation in paragraph 27. Unfortunately, the accent was put on the protection from discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation, and rights of transsexuals were "lost" under the abbreviation "LGBT".

The same day we sent out our shortened comparative analysis of sex reassignment legislation in former USSR countries.

 

November, 25 – we asked our colleagues from the Council for Global Equality, USA, to verify that the Shadow Report "Violations of rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Russia" is taken into account by the U.S. State department in its work on the annual Country Human Rights Report. Unfortunately, the Report goes a kind of behind the time, i.e. works as totals not for a current year but for a previous one. Thus, for example, the Report for 2009 considers events that occured in 2008. This may be noticed if you flick through the compilation on LGBT issues from the Report for 2008 (published on 25.02.2009) or for 2009 (published on 11.03.2010). Full version of Reports can be found at www.state.gov.us.

 

November, 29 – we agreed to take part in a project of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The project is connected with researching the situation of LGBT people in member countries of the Council of Europe. Results and peculiarities of the project will be announced after its termination, in 2010.

 

November, 30 – we unsubscribed from the "LGBT-Russia" Google mailing group because for a year since we joined it, "LGBT Rights" movement has ceased to exist, LGBT Radio "Rainbow" has stopped its theme broadcasting.

     The work is ongoing! Updates will be made when possible.

Do you want more? Join us!