Coming Out

2009. Summary of LGBT-activists work in St. Petersburg.

In 2009 St. Petersburg saw a record number of different events and actions aimed at fighting homophobia and discrimination of LGBT community - lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.

LGBT organisation “Coming Out” with the support of the Russian LGBT
Network ran a series of seminars in Oct-Dec 2009 for journalists,
human rights activists and teachers of St. Petersburg.

The main questions on the agenda were related to gender and sexuality:

* What is gender and what is its difference from biological sex?
* Is homosexuality an illness?
* Who are bigenders and intersexuals?
* What is gender identity?
* Who can become a victim of homophobia?

[ 05/12/2009; 20:00:00 to 23:00:00. ]

A sign Moto Boy is hiding Oscar Hamlebo, extravagant young musician, owner of high-pitched falsetto and author and singer of soulful songs about love.
In Europe, speaking on Moto Boy, draws analogies with David Bowie and Jeff Buckley, in Russia, Oskar is compared to Jay-Jay Johansson and Patrick Wolf. This, however, also quite reasonable: all these musicians have beautiful melancholic songs and bright glamorous image. The musical biography of Oscar coexist concerts at mass gay pride parades and club venues around the world.

On September 23rd, 2009 the activists of St.-Petersburg LGBT-movement met with Igor Michailov who is the St.-Petersburg ombudsman.

In early September of this year three organisations - the Russian LGBT Network, LGBT organisation “Coming Out” and film festival “Side by Side” - sent a letter to ombudsman Igor Michailov in which they informed him of the situation of the LGBT community of St. Petersburg in regards to the respect of their human rights.

[ 22/08/2009; 18:00:00 to 21:00:00. 18:00:00 to 21:00:00. ]

Dear friends,

the first ComingOutCinema of a new season 2009-2010 which takes place on Saturday, August 22nd, will be opened by the film, devoted to the Memorial Day of victims of totalitarian regime.
The LGBT-organization “Coming Out” supports the Resolution of Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE dated July 3rd, 2009, which has assigned the day of the 23rd of August in Europe as the Memorial Day of victims of Stalinism and Nazism for the memory preservation of the victims of mass executions and deportations.

[ 10/07/2009; 20:00:00; 17/07/2009; 20:00:00 to 23:00:00. ]

Dear friends!

We invite you to participate in the games for rollers, bikers and pedestrians.

We are going to meet near the Krestovskiy island subway station on July, 17th at 8 p.m. and go to CPCaR (Central Park of Culture and Rest).

The following games are waiting for you:

“Chay-chay-vyruchay” (Salochki (Touch-last)<> - a very merry game for a company, teaches to the mutual aid). Unlike an ordinary game, our participants will be on rollers and will have the opportunity to show how rapid and adroit rollers they are.

[ 19/06/2009; 20:00:00 to 21:30:00. ]

Dear friends - all who are interested in supporting of film festival “Side-by-Side”!

As you know, within the bounds of the “Festival’s Festival”, from the 24th to the 28th of June, 2009, we will demonstrate six films of our program and will organize two discussions. We invite all who are willing to participate in carrying out of these events, which are so unprecedented for our town!

“Side-by-Side” and “Festival’s Festival” invite you to become an official volunteer of this large-scale town cinema event.

[ 25/06/2009; 12:20:00; ]

Six films of LGBT-film festival “Side-by-Side” ” will be demonstrated on the International film festival “Festival’s Festival” from the 24th to the 28th of June, 2009.
The contest devoted to knowledge of queer-cinema (please see the website of film festival for details) and organized within the bounds of demonstrations by “Side-by-Side” and “Festival’s Festival” began. Answers on questions will be received till June 19th, 2009 inclusive. All participants, guessed the answers, will receive the notification that they reached the final and will participate in a lottery. On Sunday, June 21th, on the “Side-by-Side” website, the names of three winners will be announced.

The questionnaire is closed on December 29-th 2009

[ 30/05/2009; 18:00:00 to 21:00:00. ]

Dear friends,

ComingOutInfo will take place on 30th May (Saturday) at 18.00, which will be dedicated to gay-pride. We are going to listen the following reports: “Gay-pride from the point of view of the civil society. Gay-pride in Europe and Russia: the newest history”. We will have an opportunity to listen “pro” and “contra”, discuss the gay-pride importance to LGBT-movement progress, and explore the western and Russian experience.