From: McKay Russo Subject: Queers in the ex-USSR To: qn@queernet.org Date: Mon, 29 Jun 92 17:17:25 MESZ Cc: xmr@cnve.rz.uni-jena.de Mailer: Elm [revision: 64.9] >From Information Bulletin SMOT (december, january, feburary : 1991-1992) n:6 ISSN: 1162-3454 SEXUAL MINORITIES To answer many Western readers' questions about the situation of sexual minorities in the Ex-USSR, I would like to indicate that it is relatively difficult even to raise that question within the workers' movement, since the majority of workers are relatively conservative on this point (they would often agree with the actions of the Soviet Government in the 1930-1940s, and of Germany in the years 1933-1945). In Russian Law, just as before, there is an article of the Criminal Codex which punishes voluntary homosexual contacts (with prison sentances of up to 5 years, or 8 years in special cases), but only for men. Women cannot be pros- ecuted in Russia for having homosexual relations. Addresses for more information: -the Group for Psychological Aid to Sexual Minorities Moscow Ul. Malomoskovskaya, 4 'Medecine and Reproduction' N.Oleynikov -the Organizing Committee of the Moscow Union of Homosexuals, Moscow 109180 J-180 Box 11 Editors of the newspaper 'Tema' -the Organizing Committee of the Russian Organisation for Lesbian Rights, tel. +7-095-177-2428 (Sveta), +7-095-153-90-35 (Genia) -the Organizing Committee of the 'AGRO' Association Moscow 129224 Box 157 Editors of the magazine 'Risk' -the Organising Committee of the 'Nevskaya Parspectiva' Association, Saint-Petersburg 191186 D-186 Box 108 -the Editors of the 'Sibirsky Variant' newspaper, Barnaul 656054 Box 783 -the Organising Committee of the Association for Equal Rights to Sexual Minorities Latvia, Riga 226001 Box 460 The homosexual population represents only 0.07 % in the working class, and has no socio-political influence upon the workers' movement. ________________________________________________________ SMOT stands for "Free interprofessional Workers union" a Free Trade Union in the USSR, founded in 1978 in Moscow. Their contact address is: Alexandre Tchoukaev 145 rue Amelot 75011 Paris France I think their bulletin can be ordered in the U.S. from the Workers Solidarity Alliance 339 Lafayette St., room 202 New York, NY 10012