Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Don't Talk About Queerness In Russia


Guest musicalice

Recommended Posts

Guest musicalice

http://www.allout.or...russia_silenced

"Political leaders in St. Petersburg are about to vote on law that will make it illegal for any person to write a book, publish an article or speak in public about being gay, lesbian or transgender. The ruling party led by President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin could make millions of people invisible with the stroke of a pen."

Mad... I thought Russia had started subscribing to freedom of speech now? This surely goes against the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

What was going through their heads? "What if someone reads it and realises why they've been so miserable, dogged with depression and self-hate and suicidal? We can't have them contributing to society like everyone else, it's much better to watch them squirm in their ignorance."

:blowup:

If you go to the website and sign (I used my preferred name, even though it's not legal, and a disposable email address), apparently they can help stop it. I'm a bit hazy on how they do it, be sure to check it out before giving away email addresses and names etc. I've signed their other petitions and all I get is an email every week or two asking me to sign another one. And don't give your address, it's not required.

Link to comment
  • Admin

That is absolutely horrible. :banghead: Whatever happened to the era of glasnost? It seems that has been forgotten in Putin's drive to turn the clock back to the "good old days" of the Soviet Union. The Russian people deserve better than leaders like him and Medvedev. Thanks for posting this article, Alice.

Carolyn Marie

Link to comment
Guest GinaInside

One thing that concerns me about this, is that in tough times, those with the least power are often targeted first. These are tough economic times, and life has always been tough in Russia. The powers that be feel threatened by a lot of things, some legitimate, not just LGBT issues, which they see as destructive. The first Gay Pride Parade in Moscow was met with riot police. It truly would be sad if the do turn back the clock, and destroy more people's lives than they think they are saving. And then there is this:

"Those who do not morn the fall of the old Soviet Union have no heart. Those who want it back have no brain." - Vladimir Putin

There are many in Russia who feel that way. Russia has historically been a tough place for the last 1000 years, and once again, they feel surrounded. They feel they need to return to repression. It does not have to be that way, but they know little else. I sincerely hope reason will prevail, and the law is not passed, or we will witness a return of something like the old Soviet Union.

I wish the best for those in Russia who are struggling to save what few gains they have made.

Hugz,

Gina

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I have to agree. I'm a bit afraid of what some of those boneheads who are running for President might do. If some of those people had their way, we'll probably be back to the state of things prior to Stonewall.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I hope it gets better for our sisters and brothers there. Reading this makes me so glad I live here.

Link to comment
Guest musicalice

News from AllOut:

"In just 48 hours, over 170,000 people have signed on to push world leaders to condemn a horrifying new Russian law that will make it illegal to speak publicly about being gay, lesbian, bi, or transgender. Thank you so much for your incredible support, we couldn't have gotten here without you.

"Our friends in St. Petersburg just told us about a protest they held in front of City Council this morning --and about being followed and dispersed by police. But we won't back down, and Russia has taken notice: a vote on the law has been postponed until next week, November 30th.

"This is a minor victory, but the fight is hardly over. There is a very real chance that this bill might pass, so we only have a small window to mount even more global pressure on Russian authorities to drop it. Here's a video report from Polina, straight from St. Petersburg. Will you share her message to ask friends and family from all over the world to sign with you?"

So it's been 'postponed' - presumably so that the trouble defuses and they can vote on it quietly later.

Link to comment
Guest musicalice

Ok, allout and a few other websites say it was shelved or postponed, a couple of others say it was passed :/ I guess we won't k

ow for sure what's happening until at least tomorrow.

It's also kind of weird that the Daily Mail has covered this story already (supportively, including comments!!), and yet not a peep from anywhere else - mind you, i dont have time to go digging. Thought I'd let you know what i'd heard though.

Link to comment

Wonderful news. I sent a link in an email to everyone I could think of who would want to sign this themselves or knew someone who would so hopefully word spread and will continue to spread.

There is a lot of disturbing news coming from Russia lately... it seems that they have their guns aimed at us again over the missile defenses being built in Europe in response to the ever increasing tensions in the middle east.

In any case let's hope Russia's leaders let this idea go and concentrate on things that are more important.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   5 Members, 0 Anonymous, 143 Guests (See full list)

    • awkward-yet-sweet
    • SamC
    • Ivy
    • Petra Jane
    • Evelyn J
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,944
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Melissa_J
    Newest Member
    Melissa_J
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Ivy
      I grew up with it, my mother's side were Germans.  I still like cabbage.  I make a sweet/sour dish with vinegar and brown sugar, add some bacon if you have it.  And in warmer weather, slaw.  I like that better if it's a few days old, and has worked off a little.
    • Ivy
      Pity that we can't just respect each other and get along.
    • Willow
      Good Friday Morning    I will be spending a good portion of my day at church today.  I don’t know how any of my family would have been with me.  They all passed before I figured myself out.  I often think my mother and sister may have figured it out before I did but maybe it was just my depression that they saw.  I don’t know and never will.  My grandfather Young unconditionally loved me but he passed when I was 9.   Same with my wife’s parents, both gone before.  We’ve never had the greatest relationship with my wife’s brother but we do see them occasionally.  They words and actions aren’t always in sink when it comes to me.   Sour kraut or boil cabbage were never big even with my parents so that was something we were never expected to eat.  Nor was anything with mustard.  My mother hated mustard and it turns my stomach. My wife tried to sneak it into things early in our marriage but I could always tell.  She stopped after a while.   well I wave to go get ready to go to church.  I have a committee meeting at 10 and then we have a Good Friday Service at noon.   Willow
    • Mmindy
      Good morning everyone,   @KymmieLI hope you're misreading your bosses communications. As you say keep plugging a long. Don't give them signs that you're slow quitting, just to collect unemployment.   I have a few things to do business wise, and will be driving to the St. Louis, MO area for two family gatherings.   Have a great day,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • KymmieL
      Good morning everyone, TGIFF   It seems like I am the one keeping or shop from being the best. According to the boss. I don't know if my days are numbered or not. But anymore I am waiting for the axe to fall. Time will tell.   I keep plugging a long.   Kymmie
    • KymmieL
      In the warmer weather, Mine is hitting the road on the bike. Just me, the bike, and the road. Other is it music or working on one of my many projects.   Kymmie
    • LC
      That is wonderful. Congratulations!
    • Heather Shay
      What is relaxation to you? Nature? Movie? Reading? Cuddling with a pet? Music?
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Having just a normal emotional day.
    • Heather Shay
      AMUSEMENT The feeling when you encounter something silly, ironic, witty, or absurd, which makes you laugh. You have the urge to be playful and share the joke with others. Similar words: Mirth Amusement is the emotional reaction to humor. This can be something that is intended to be humorous, like when someone tells a good joke or when a friend dresses up in a ridiculous costume. But it can also be something that you find funny that was not intended to be humorous, like when you read a sign with a spelling error that turns it into an ironic pun. For millennia, philosophers and scholars have been attempting to explain what exactly it is that makes something funny. This has led to several different theories. Nowadays, the most widely accepted one is the Incongruity Theory, which states that something is amusing if it violates our standards of how things are supposed to be. For example, Charlie Chaplin-style slapstick is funny because it violates our norms of competence and proper conduct, while Monty Python-style absurdity is funny because it violates reason and logic. However, not every standard or norm violation is necessarily funny. Violations can also evoke confusion, indignation, or shock. An important condition for amusement is that there is a certain psychological distance to the violation. One of the ways to achieve this is captured by the statement ‘comedy is tragedy plus time’. A dreadful mistake today may become a funny story a year from now. But it can also be distant in other ways, for instance, because it happened to someone you do not know, or because it happens in fiction instead of in real life. Amusement also needs a safe and relaxed environment: people who are relaxed and among friends are much more likely to feel amused by something. A violation and sufficient psychological distance are the basic ingredients for amusement, but what any one person find funny will depend on their taste and sense of humor. There are dozens of ‘humor genres’, such as observational comedy, deadpan, toilet humor, and black comedy. Amusement is contagious: in groups, people are more prone to be amused and express their amusement more overtly. People are more likely to share amusement when they are with friends or like-minded people. For these reasons, amusement is often considered a social emotion. It encourages people to engage in social interactions and it promotes social bonding. Many people consider amusement to be good for the body and the soul. By the end of the 20th century, humor and laughter were considered important for mental and physical health, even by psychoneuroimmunology researchers who suggested that emotions influenced immunity. This precipitated the ‘humor and health movement’ among health care providers who believed that humor and laughter help speed recovery, including in patients suffering from cancer1). However, the evidence for health benefits of humor and laughter is less conclusive than commonly believed2. Amusement is a frequent target of regulation: we down-regulate it by shifting our attention to avoid inappropriate laughter, or up-regulate it by focusing on a humorous aspect of a negative situation. Interestingly, amusement that is purposefully up-regulated has been found to have the same beneficial physical and psychological effects as the naturally experienced emotion. Amusement has a few clear expressions that emerge depending on the intensity of the emotion. When people are mildly amused, they tend to smile or chuckle. When amusement intensifies, people laugh out loud and tilt or bob their head. The most extreme bouts of amusement may be accompanied by uncontrollable laughter, tears, and rolling on the floor. Most cultures welcome and endorse amusement. Many people even consider a ‘good sense of humor’ as one of the most desirable characteristics in a partner. At the same time, most cultures have (implicit) rules about what is the right time and place for amusement. For example, displays of amusement may be deemed inappropriate in situations that demand seriousness or solemness, such as at work or during religious rituals.
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!! Two cups of coffee in the books and I am just feeling so wonderful this morning. Not sure why, but I'm happy and smiling.   Enjoy this beautiful day!!!
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...