25.02.2014
The law to ban so-called “propaganda of homosexuality” among minors, calling to not allow the damage to the health of children and adolescents, can soon cause the opposite effect.
Journalist from Nizhniy Tagil, Elena Klimova, who is administrating the group support on the social media, is being accused of activities aimed at the assertion of the “attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations.” However, the main objective of the group Children 404. LGBT teenagers. WE EXIST! consists of anonymous publication of letters belonging to teenagers who are already aware of their homo- or bisexuality, and who have come across rejection from their relatives. LGBT teenagers write to the group with one goal: to share with somebody what they are going through, to receive support from those who understand them, and who doesn't treat them like freaks, insane people, or like people with defective state of mind. For all those who are struggling with the surrounding pain by themselves is of utmost importance to know that they are not the only ones, and that they are part of a bigger community; they can adopt hope that that their relatives, despite their initial reaction (usually very nervous and often cruel), as time progresses will be able to understand and accept the teenagers just like their are understood and accepted on the territory of Children 404. Fourteen professional psychologists are taking an active part in the project, making the group a distributer of serious psychological support for teenagers. However “propaganda” is defined, this is not it.
We are the members of the Parent Club in St. Petersburg LGBT organization Coming Out and Interregional social organization Parent Movementand we work with mature young people. They are tougher than teenagers (and financially independent, which is important!), but we see how hard it is for them to control their emotions when they reminisce their teen fears, doubts, pain and their parents and surrounding them people rejection. We are a group of parents supporting young people and their relatives before, during and after they have come out (acknowledgement of homo- or bisexuality and transsexuality), and we see that the program does work! As a result of our activities LGBT community does not expand (it is an absurd thesis which defends homophobia), but those who are not because of their choice, but due to biological reasons are LGBT receive needed support and hope that relationships with their parents can remain warm, trusting and friendly even after they came out to their families.
Teenagers who have already come across misunderstanding, discrimination and cruelty in their family or at school address to Lena Klimova just like to a buoy. For less than a year since the project is active, the website has received more than a thousand of letters, and those who are aware know how many of those who wrote stopped literally one step away from suicide thanks to this life-saving chat for them!
Journalist, Lena Klimova, took upon herself what the government denied to do for the children, the function of which is to take care about all of its citizens - typical ones as well as of those who because of a certain feature are a minority. All of them are our children! What, other than the great feeling of compassion, may cause a person to plunge into the sea of bitterness and the pain of others, not to sleep at night while answering calls, spend all the time and effort to solve problems of strangers?! Read at least a few letters, and you will realize “propaganda” of homosexuality is impossible, but the help is necessary. Try to write at least one answer to a real teenager who is rejected and beaten up by their parents, harassed by classmates and often teachers! Try to find the right words which will bring faith in the future to a child! Unfortunately, this issue is not personally related to the majority of people, and they try to move away from these uncomfortable and bitter themes, while homophobes like Deputy Milonov everywhere see only propaganda. That’s why they are trying to close the only one in Russia Internet resource providing real, not fake, help to children. Their goal is to fine Lena and close the group on social network, and they don’t think about children, homosexual children who get denied in the right to be “socially equal” in the society. After all, their “non-traditional” sexuality depends on neither themselves, Milonov, or the initiated law.
We are the parents of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender children, and we understand it like no one else does. To us what seems even more unfair to us is that lena Klimova may receive not help from the government for her humanitarian activity, but punishment. And teenagers: more than thousand of people who have written to her their tragic stories, and almost twenty thousand people who are members of her groups, and many many more can loose the only platform for a dialogue, which was already reached by the hands of embarrassing homophobic law and slander in the prosecutor’s office!
There’s no propaganda in the published letters. LGBT children write bitterly and a lot about the insults, beatings and harassment, but nothing on the “attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations!” And this is what the project Children 404 is being accused of by the irrepressible Deputy Milonov who has addressed the issue in the public prosecutor’s office.
We call to all parents, to scientific and medical communities, and to all citizens of Russia with the appeal to prevent the closure of the project Children 404.
Parent club of St. Petersburg LGBT organization Coming Out https://vk.com/rklgbt