The situation of LGBT+ people in Belarus

LGBT+ people and legislation There are no laws in Belarus that specifically charge for the discrimination/violence against LGBT+ people. In 2015 there was the first lawsuit in Belarus where the homophobia was an aggravating circumstance. The courts are still unwilling to consider homophobia as an aggravating circumstance in most cases.

LGBT+ people and government Since the freedom of association and protection of the right to organize is constantly infringed by the government it’s hard to organize LGBT+ public events. It’s extremely difficult to register officially as an LGBT+ organization. There are currently two organizations that are officially registered. The government doesn’t give permission to carry out Pride parades – the latest one happened in 2011 at the outskirts of Minsk with only 10 participants.

In 2012 there was a “tram pride” – the LGBT+ activists rented a tram and drove the whole rout through the city.

Homophobia in Belarusian society. 70% of Belarusians said that they wouldn’t want to have an LGBT+ person as a neighbor. The media occasionally uses hate speech. According to the research conducted by “Journalists for Tolerance” in 2016 there were 23 articles that used homophobic slurs or hate speech against LGBT people. There are cases of “set up dates” when an LGBT person is met by aggressive individuals, robbed and/or beaten up.

LGBT+ people and health MSM are a part of “priority list” of people who get HIV treatment first and foremost. Trans people can undergo the correction for free, the operation is covered by public healthcare. It’s quite difficult to get doctors’ approvals for the operation, which may be given after thorough psychological evaluation. According to reports by trans people the atmosphere during these evaluations is hostile and rigid.

LGBT+ organizations in Belarus The LGBT+ organizations in Belarus work in several spheres: law support, psychological support, cultural and educational projects etc. Their practice is often limited by the government. According to the current law any LGBT project or event can only include people who are over 18 years old (legal adults).

List of some LGBT+ organizations and media in Belarus DOTYK http://en.dotyk.by/ COMMUNITY CENTRE http://communitycentre.by/en/ Identity and Law http://identitylaw.org/ MAKEOUT https://makeout.by/ Gender BY http://gender.by/ Vstrecha (The Meeting) http://vstrecha.by/ Public page LGBT Belarus https://vk.com/lgbt_belaruss Gay Press http://gaypress.eu/