Trans, gender diverse rights deteriorating rapidly in Russia

Lawmakers seek final approval to gender transition ban

By BRODY LEVESQUE

In a scene eerily reminiscent of a 1960s cold war era novel, the young woman sat nervously at the outside table of the café not far from the museum district and main railroad station in St. Petersburg, chain smoking French Gitanes and toying with the food on her plate in front of her. She kept nervously glancing around as if she expected to suddenly be swept up in a secret police raid.

The primary cause of her anxiety and discomfiture she explained to the journalist sitting across the table from her, was that as a transgender woman, she felt threatened and afraid. Unable to continue to live in her native region in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, [region] in the Ural mountains she had moved first to the Russian capital of Moscow. Then as tensions rose over the treatment of LGBTQ Russians she fled to St. Petersburg.

“There is no safety anymore, soon they will openly hunt us like swine, we no right to exist they say,” she told Russian freelance journalist Sergei Dimitrov.

The young woman who only identified herself to Dimitrov by the name Elena said that since the latest passage of laws including expansion of the Russia’s “gay propaganda” law to include adults last December, coupled with the crackdown by the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, abbreviated as Roskomnadzor, on any websites and on popular phone apps that cater to LGBTQ people, she has now begun efforts in earnest to leave the country.

Last week the lower house of the Russian Parliament, colloquially referred to as the State Duma, passed on its final reading a bill that would outlaw gender transitioning procedures in Russia. The measure now heads to the Federation Council, or upper House where it is expected to pass in the scheduled vote on Tuesday and then transmitted to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his approval and signature which is expected.

State Duma [Parliament] Deputy Speaker Pytor Tolstoy, a co-sponsor of the legislation, pointed out that banning the “practice of transgenderism” was in the interest of national security.

The diagnosis of “transsexualism,” he added, refers to gender identity disorders and is the basis for recognizing a citizen as unfit for military service. In addition, “we must not forget that by changing the sex of one of the partners, a homosexual couple gets the right to adopt a child. Unfortunately, there are already such cases in Russia,” he said.

The proposed law would bar Russians from changing their gender on official government identity documents including internal and external passports, driver’s licenses, and birth certificates, although gender marker changes had been legal for 26 years since 1997.

Medical healthcare providers would be banned from “performing medical interventions designed to change the sex of a person,” including surgery and prescribing hormone therapy.

In a floor speech prior to the vote last month after the measure’s first reading, Tolstoy blamed the West for what he deemed a profitable medical industry:

“The Western transgender industry is trying in this way to seep into our country, to break through a window for its multi-billion dollar business,” Tolstoy said. Then he claimed there is already a developed network of clinics in Russia, “it includes trans-friendly doctors and psychol- ogists, and all this operates with the active support of LGBT organizations. However, in the past six months they have changed their names to more, perhaps harmless ones,” he said inferring that the recent expansion of the country’s law banning LGBTQ propaganda was somehow responsible for those changes. sary burdens on trans people, forcing them to disclose their private and medical history and exposing them to discrimination, harassment and violence.”

According to Tolstoy, gender reassignment surgery is “a very profitable area of medical services. And it’s understandable why a number of doctors defend this area so fiercely, hiding behind academic knowledge, including those obtained abroad while studying in the United States and other countries,” he said, “running into” Western medical education.

Provisions to the bill in its second reading, approved on Thursday, also ban trans people from adopting or fostering children, and force them to annul their marriages if one of the couple subsequently changes gender.

LGBTQ and human rights organization ILGA-Europe issued a statement condemning the actions of the Russian Duma and offered support and solidarity with the Russian trans and queer communities.

According to Dimitrov, that particular provision of the legislation is specifically applicable to Elena, who while having completed transition-related surgery has been unable to get the gender marker changed on her documents, which with the current war in Ukraine has further complicated her life.

She told Dimitrov that demands for her to present herself for required military service, under her former name and gender, was yet another reason she had fled. Now she says, she is trapped and unable to legally leave, entertaining the option of illegally entering the EU and asking for asylum, most likely to neighboring Latvia, or Estonia.

Independent news outlet Mediazona reported in February 2023 that the number of passports issued due to “gender change” has more than doubled in 2022 compared with two years earlier — from 428 in 2020 to 936 last year, according to Russia’s Interior Ministry.

In justifying the provision, lawmakers cited concerns that men are using the relatively simple procedure of changing gender in official documents to dodge the military draft.

Another point was raised by a lawmaker who asked what to do with 3,000-plus trans people who have already managed to change their gender and documents. Tolstoy responded noted that the law does not have retroactive effect.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called gender transitioning “pure satanism.”

Akram Kubanychbekov, a senior advocacy officer for ILGA-Europe, this past week sent out a “dear colleagues” request for assistance detailing specific needs and actions that will be crucial to assisting trans and gender diverse Russians.

“We firmly assert that such legislation flagrantly violates fundamental human rights standards and principles.

ILGA-Europe firmly believe in the inherent dignity and equal rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression. International human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasize that everyone has the right to self-determination, privacy, and the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Denying trans and gender diverse individuals access to trans-specific healthcare and legal gender recognition blatantly disregards the international human rights framework,” ILGA-Europe wrote.

Sympathetic physicians and trans rights advocates have warned that the ban is poised to create a black market for hormone substitutes, some of which likely will be dangerous and lead to an increase in attempted suicides among trans youth unable to access medical care.

ILGA-Europe’s statement also warned: “Furthermore, the bill invalidates all certificates of legal gender recognition for individuals who have undergone transition-related surgery but not yet changed the gender marker in their passport. This is a violation of their right to privacy, places trans people in legal limbo, and creates unneces-

Kubanychbekov wrote: “Discrimination, violence and the enactment of oppressive laws have made it increasingly unsafe for trans people to live their lives authentically and without fear. In light of these circumstances, we have reached out local trans organizations to ask them of support trans community need at the moment.

“To address the urgent needs of trans people who wish to leave Russia, there is a need in facilitating support for broadening the criteria for humanitarian visas. By expanding the eligibility criteria, we can ensure that those facing persecution and threats to their safety have a viable pathway to seek refuge in other countries. It is crucial to work together to advocate for this change with governments at the national level to extend our support to trans people seeking a safer environment in safer countries.

“In addition to humanitarian visas, trans organizations [inside Russia] asked to assist in securing multi-entry, long-term (preferably Schengen) visas for activists, who will continue their important work within Russia but may need to swiftly leave in case of escalating danger. By facilitating the necessary visa support, activists are enabled to carry out their vital work with the knowledge that they have an emergency exit if required.

“We would like to encourage you to stand in solidarity with the local trans organizations in Russia and support their requests.”

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July 16 marks one year since our nation transitioned to 988, the easy-to-remember, nationwide mental health crisis helpline. This number connects callers with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). Congress designated 988 in 2020 and as a part of the federal government’s commitment to addressing the mental health crisis in America, unprecedented federal resources have been invested to scale up crisis centers in support of 988. 988 is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365, connecting those experiencing a mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis with trained crisis counselors. Access is available through every land line, cell phone, and voice-over internet device in the United States and call/text services are also available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 150 languages.

Spread the word: Help is available.

Since the launch of 988 in 2022, data show an increase in overall calls, texts, and chats – all while answer rates are significantly improving. More people are getting connected to care (and connected sooner) than ever before. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

• 98% of people who contact 988 are helped by a trained crisis counselor, resources are shared, and community connections made (without the involvement of 911) during the call/text/chat.

• 9,360 is the average number of daily contacts to 988.

• About 1% of people who contact 988 agree to have their crisis counselor call 911 because of serious risk to life.

• In fewer than 1% of 988 calls, the crisis counselor must call 911 without consent because of serious risk to life.

Don’t wait. We are listening.

If someone is experiencing an emotional crisis or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or seek help at a licensed behavioral health facility. 24/7 assessments are available by contacting us directly. As a behavioral healthcare provider right here in Washington, DC, our team at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington is dedicated to support individuals in a manner that promotes hope, resiliency, connectedness, and recovery. We are proud to partner with the local 988 network and are a resource for individuals referred for help. We appreciate the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Evan Enzer

is a Berkeley Law graduate, certified privacy professional, and legal fellow at The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. Cyra Paladini is a communications intern at S.T.O.P. She is currently studying Cognitive Science at Barnard College and is a staff reporter at the Columbia Daily Spectator, and formerly served as an advocacy coordinator for Amnesty International and March For Our Lives.

There’s no Pride in censoring queer gamers Blizzard Entertainment bucks corporate trend of abandoning LGBTQ community

In the wake of major corporate setbacks in last moth’s Pride celebrations—think Starbucks’ “no decorations” policy or Target pulling Pride merchandise—videogame developer Blizzard Entertainment opted for inclusivity. Blizzard launched an in-game Pride celebration on Overwatch, a popular multiplayer game. The event features new costumes for LGBTQ+ characters and re-skinned maps to commemorate Pride. This festivity is the latest example of video games’ growing importance as a space for social expression and connection. Resourceful players use video games for political rallies, religious ceremonies, protests, and dating. Although gaming can provide an important digital public forum, new research finds that game moderation programs alienate minority players, and in-game censorship limits free expression. Sadly, historically marginalized gamers, like the LGBTQ players Overwatch is celebrating, feel these harms most strongly. It’s time for governments and companies to rethink video game content moderation.

Nearly all multiplayer online video games implement some form of content moderation to reduce harassment and create a fun environment. To stem the constant flow of foul play, entertainment companies rely on computer programs and overworked moderators to filter offensive communications and ban abusive players. Unfortunately, these programs lack social context, and often mistakenly censor players merely responding to or defending against the harassment.

Game moderator programs consistently flag women, LGBTQ gamers, and members of other underrepresented groups who stand up for themselves against trolls. Many turn to Reddit to share experiences like this player’s: “A guy got me suspended on PlayStation for a week. He said some extremely racist and antisemitic stuff then proceeded to message me…baiting me into paraphrasing what he said and reporting my message.”

Research shows that many content moderation programs block words like “lesbian,” “gay,” or “sapphic.” This not only punishes gamers who use these terms as insults but also those who use them for self-expression, including a fellow Reddit poster whose username, “GaymFace,” (a play on the phrase “game face”) earned him a seven-day suspension. GaymFace, too, took to Reddit to express his discontent: “I’m a member of the LGBT community and have proudly been playing under this name for 5+ years. […] my username changed to a Temp name because it ‘violates the community code of conduct.’”

The unintended consequence of content moderation is that companies routinely ban historically marginalized players from gaming platforms, sending the message that game developers have no desire to correct such a critical oversight, and don’t value their participation

In the absence of effective industry moderation, Congress is also stepping in to prevent virtual violence, bullying, and restrict children’s access to age-inappropriate content. Similar to industry regulation, legislators paint with broad strokes when it comes to limiting digital speech. Again, such interference in gaming affects everyone, not just kids. When the government limits gamers’ ability to speak freely with such rigid content-based restrictions, they also dictate how players may express themselves. The American government ought not to be the judge of acceptable expression. Furthermore, when we allow point blank banning of certain speech as a practice by state officials, we set a precedent for the imposition of ideologically motivated limitations on digital actors and the media they participate in.

The fundamental issue is that governments, companies, and players hold contradictory understandings of what video games are supposed to be. To entertainment companies like Blizzard, games are art, revenue streams, and places to play creatively. Government officials view videogames as mass media to regulate like any other industry. But to players, games are a channel for spending time with friends and loved ones. To them, digital self-expression — so long as it’s not at the expense of others — is critical, and gaming is often a medium for otherwise impossible explorations of personal identity. Players go on dates with their long-distance partners, navigate fantasy worlds with their best friends, and build virtual homes. When gaming is an extension of life, it is natural that players will become livid when moderators ban them from expressing their identity or defending themselves.

KEVIN BERRILL, LCSW, was Anti-Violence Project Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force from 1982-1992. He is co-editor of ‘Hate Crimes: Confronting Violence Against Lesbians and Gay Men.’

Reclaiming ‘woke’ from the right: An LGBTQ perspective

Lane

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has stepped up his war on “woke-ism,” most recently with an alarming video post on Twitter bragging about his “most extreme slate of anti-trans laws in modern history.” With the stroke of a pen he has already erased LGBTQ visibility in school classrooms, dismantled diversity programs, and banned the teaching of critical race theory. Who or what is next on the list is anyone’s guess, but we know from history that intolerance is li e a ra in forest fire that consumes ever thin in its path.

For the LGBTQ community, this is all part of a familiar and ongoing story of progress and backlash. The same visibility that allowed LGBTQ people to create community, educate, and organize for equality has also made us a target of those who hate and want to harm us.

As an organizer at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (1982-93), I documented thousands of episodes of anti-gay violence, much of it encouraged by a religious right alarmed by our growing visibility and strength as a movement. Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell filled his treasur with wildl successful direct mail appeals that declared war a ainst ho mosexuality” and that urged his adherents to “stop homosexuals dead in their tracks.”

What I learned about people consumed by fear and prejudice is that they are relentless and never stay in one lane. The scapegoating of one vulnerable group inevitably spreads to another. “Queers” were among those singled out for extermination in a White Patriot Party “Declaration of War” against enemies of the white race. A white supremacist leader who was convicted in the 1983 arson of a Jewish community center in Indiana was also found guilty of torching a gay Christian Church in Missouri that same year. I had stacks of incoming mail from indiscriminate haters emblazoned with swastikas (“WHITE POWER! DEATH TO FAGS!”).

Originally a vernacular term in the African-American community for staying alert and awake in the face of racial discrimination, the adjective “woke” gained broader attention during the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and, later, to mean someone who is aware of and cares about social injustice more broadly. Almost overnight the word “woke” was weaponized by the right and became a term of derision. Don’t like hearing uncomfortable truths about our history as an enslaving nation? Well, heck, just call it “woke.” Advanced Placement high school courses in African American studies? Woke. Books exploring gender identity? Woke. Disneyland? Woke. Bud Light? Woke.

Dismissing others as woke is a cynical and lazy—but highly effective—way to trigger fear in the listener, dismiss and dehumanize opponents, and shut down curiosity, inquiry, and compassionate action. Uncomfortable with woke teachers? Accuse them of “grooming” children to be gay or trans, as if that were even possible. In an instant, they are transformed from people to predators.

Anti-woke absolves all its adherents of accountability and responsibility to do anything to right historical wrongs or even respect the “other.” he pro ressive left has been critici ed sometimes with ustification for focusin too narrowly on America’s failures to live up to its stated ideals and for unfairly “canceling” those who violate woke norms and values. What critics overlook is that the conservative right is—and always has been—cancel crazy: Canceling “woke” library books and drag shows, opposing and nullifying laws to protect against discrimination, and even canceling democracy itself by limiting voting rights and casting doubt on fair elections. In the final anal sis the anti wo e ri ht is intent on cancelin realit and the histor that under irds it in its pursuit of a world of fi ed identities and strict hierarchies in which dominant groups are in control of the narrative of who we are as a nation and who is entitled to share in its promise. is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

Jesus declared, “The truth will set you free,” (John 8:32), but for DeSantis and his fellow Republicans, acknowledging the truth of our nation’s past errors and crimes is an outrage. Calls for reckoning and justice are viewed as pure weakness leading to downfall rather than as an opportunity for understanding, correction, and redemption. Too fragile to face facts, they are on a campaign to destroy truth and those who speak it. “Wokeism” is now described as a “virus,” which makes those who “carry” the virus (e.g., progressive activists, feminists, academics, librarians, and even scientists) spreaders of disease.

Republicans now screwing with National Defense Authorization Act

MAGA amendments target abortion, trans rights, and more

What people thought beyond the pale, screwing with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is what Republicans in Congress are now doing. Amendments from the most MAGA segments of the party are winning votes. Those MAGA members including Chip Roy (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and one of the craziest, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), have no interest in protecting the country, only in their cultural issues like banning abortion, hurting transgender people, and ending inclusion/diversity. They are willing to put the country in jeopardy.

Proving again why it is crucial to get rid of all Republicans, we see Speaker McCarthy allowing a small group in his party to dictate national policy because he is afraid they will challenge his speakership, demonstrating how weak he is. Those like scary Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), now control the House, and in essence, McCarthy. Even Republicans who may claim some sanity, and they are hard to find, are acquiescing to the crazies because they are scared shitless they will be primaried. It’s all about winning, “to hell with the country.”

Not satisfied screwing with the NDAA, Republicans decided to become full-time overlords to the 700,000 residents of D.C. While there were always amendments impacting D.C., stopping needle exchange at the height of the AIDS crisis, or making it illegal to spend money on abortions for poor District women, now they have gone much further. They are rewriting D.C.’s election laws, including requiring a photo ID to vote, and prohibiting the city from sending unsolicited mail-in ballots to registered voters, among other provisions. Another amendment prevents the city from using traffic cameras, currently a key source of income for the city. Mayor Bowser suggested if passed, it could cost the city up to $1 billion over four years, money that would be made up by cutting services the city now provides including policing, and healthcare, among others. These amendments were passed by both the House Appropriations Committee, and in a bill advanced by the House Oversight Committee. One scary amendment would allow people with gun permits issued anywhere, to carry them in D.C., including on Metro.

You would think with all the serious issues facing the nation, and facing their own constituents, congressional Republicans would focus on something to help the people who elected them. Clearly, not their interest. We must question the sanity of people who elect them. There are clearly a bunch of sick people who elected and reelect Marjorie Taylor Greene, who sane people see as the village idiot. But this village idiot today has sway over the Speaker of the House.

The issue Democrats face in the next election, is so-called, ‘independents,’ who are dissatisfied with the Democratic candidate. They either don’t fully understand how our government works, or don’t care. I am tired of listening to those who claim to be ‘independent’ tell me Biden isn’t doing enough, Democrats aren’t doing enough; without saying what they think they could do. They seem to not understand it is not about waiving a magic wand, it’s about having the votes.

In 2016, those ‘independents’ handed the presidency to Donald Trump by voting for Jill Stein. They bitched about the candidate and what the Democratic platform didn’t say, and literally handed the election to Trump, who they claimed they couldn’t stand. Even intelligent people like Rachel Maddow, kept bashing Hillary Clinton. What did she think that would accomplish, if not electing Trump? Going back to 2000 we saw Ralph Nader do the same to Al Gore. Getting just enough votes in Florida to give Bush the presidency. You would have thought by now people would learn, but they apparently haven’t. Today some are talking about a No Labels third-party run.

Third Party candidates don’t win, they are only spoilers. I always ask friends who are ‘independent’ what they stand for, and get wishy-washy answers. The majority either lean Democratic or Republican. They don’t have their own platform, or proposals. When they complain about the party’s candidates, I ask why they aren’t willing to get down in the dirt working to get a candidate they like. Seems they would rather sit on the sidelines till the general election, and then bitch. It has become really tiring.

So good people wake up. Either the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate for president, and for nearly all congressional seats, except for the very rare one, will be the winner. Whose platform do you like better? Even if it’s not perfect, and you hold your nose, vote for the person who will support most of what you want. If you don’t, you are screwed, and are screwing the rest of us.

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