This article is about – Putin’s war in Ukraine. The material has been translated from English into Georgian. You can see the full English version of the text at the following link.
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Facebook has deleted pages and groups related to Alt-Info – Fair Elections spreads this information on its Facebook page.
“In parallel with the ongoing war in Ukraine, we are trying our best to resist Russian propaganda and manipulation of information about the war. We provide the relevant data on Facebook in light of this. ” – We read in the statement.
Alt-info page can not be searched on Facebook at this time.
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On February 22, Azerbaijani blogger, journalist and LGBTQ activist Avaz Shikhmammadov (known professionally as Avaz Hafizli) was killed by a relative, Amrula Gulaliyev. News about the murder was spread by the Attorney General’s office and the Interior Ministry. According to Gulaliyev, the motive for the murder was a personal disagreement.
Gulaliyev was not sober at the time of the murder. He has already been arrested and an investigation is underway. However, Hafizli’s friends and colleagues speak of a different motive for the murder. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but in recent months Hafizli had been actively condemning the inaction of the investigating agency on hate-motivated crimes. The journalist handcuffed himself to the Attorney General’s office in September to protest this inaction. During the same period, a journalist was detained by police during a peaceful demonstration in the city centre.
Hafizli’s friends and colleagues have suspicions about the motive for the murder, as the journalist was killed with particular cruelty. It was reported that Hafizli was beheaded and had his genitals amputated.
Queer contacted Hafizli’s colleague, Mirzal Mohammed, an Azerbaijani journalist living in France, to whom the deceased sent a video about the current events in Azerbaijan. Mohammed said he had no relationship with Hafizli’s killer, so he ruled out personal revenge.
“I also have a lot of questions, but I think that the assassination was planned by the Azerbaijani authorities. The deceased didn’t have a relationship with his cousin, what could have been the reason for the murder? The perpetrator cut off the head and genitals of the deceased. Avaz was in great danger in Azerbaijan due to the hatred toward LGBTQ people,” Mohammed said.
Additionally, there are unconfirmed reports that during the transfer of the journalist’s body to the morgue, the law enforcers refused to touch his body and called him “dirty”.
Mirzali Mohammed also commented about how the body was transferred, noting that “a thorough investigation was not carried out at the scene of the murder and the deceased was transported using garbage bags.”
To verify the details, we contacted Avaz Hafizli’s friend, LGBTQ activist Javid Nabiev, who lives in Azerbaijan. Nabiev said Hafizli’s disagreement with relatives was indeed related to the deceased’s sexual orientation and activism.
“Avaz often mentioned in private conversations that his family had problems with his sexual orientation and activism. Uncle’s family is strongly religious and the aggression against Avaz stemmed from this. The killer said that the cause of the crime was a personal disagreement, but the brutal murder assures us of hateful motives.” Javid said, confirming that the body of the deceased was mutilated. ” We went to Avaz’s family to help with the body’s necessary preparation. So I can confirm the opinion spread – the deceased has his genitals amputated, which directly indicates a hateful motive. “
Nabiev also confirmed the brutal treatment by the police and noted that the ambulance staff also refused to move the body.
“Police and ambulance arrived at the crime scene and refused to move the body, they did not want to touch the body. “Avaz’s colleagues were able to organise the transfer of the body, but he was taken to the morgue by a garbage truck,” said Javid Nabiev.
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This article is about – the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The material has been translated from English into Georgian. You can see the full English version of the text at the following link: The Washington Post
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Unfortunately, I have to stay anonymous. I am a 24-year-old lesbian. My journey of self-discovery started at the age of 15, when I first felt attracted to a girl.
This is where my problems began. Sadly, I grew up in a family in which I was emotionally abused on a daily basis. What expectations should I have for the society after that? For my friends, who couldn’t or refused to accept me because I was different.
I can recall a few instances. I remember my first heartbreak at a very young age. It was when I was not allowed to play football because girls are supposed to play with dolls (Here, I would like to express my respect for the Georgian Women’s Football Federation). As I grew up, my problems also grew bigger and they became more painful than playing football. For example, my manners, outfits, style, were all a problem. I was even told that I must have some hormonal problems and that I needed medical treatment. They even wanted to send me to a church, and my mom just pretended that she didn’t know what was going on with me. As for my friends and the society in general, I lost a lot of people because it was unacceptable to them that I was attracted to people of my own sex.
The real and final problem was me falling in love. It became obvious to them that I couldn’t be treated, there was nothing wrong with me and they realized that I was a lesbian. I was a shame to my parents and there was no place for me in their lives. After this I was simply kicked out of my house. An added bonus was the fact that I was also fired from my job – as they told me, “this isn’t a gay bar”. I was left homeless, jobless, and hopeless.
My girlfriend and I could never be happy here, live freely and achieve anything in life. So we escaped the country and asked for shelter in one of the European countries, and we’re still here. Our family members know nothing about this. Because of this I will refrain from specifying the name of the country and other details.
For the first time in my life, I am in an environment in which I feel like a normal person, just like anyone else. No one stares at me, no one threatens or mocks me. No one threatens my partner either. We don’t have to be defending ourselves and be constantly stressed out. We’re not thinking about death and we have a real chance to make a family and lead a normal life in the society. It doesn’t really matter if we have the funds for it, I’m just happy that I can breathe and feel the freedom.
I have hope for the future. I believe that we are starting everything from scratch. Despite the fact that because of all the stress I have a few neurological illnesses, I believe that I will have a child. I will raise them in a healthy society, in which he will never have to doubt that my love is an odd event. Love is love.
It is hard to describe all the pain, sadness and humiliation. Sometimes I try to convince myself that none of this was real. I have to stand up and prove to everyone that I’m strong. And most of all, I have to keep on living for my own self.
I have read the statistics of the European Council study. How could I disagree with it, after how much I went through?! There was so much aggression around me. Every second person attempted to humiliate me. This isn’t just me, all of my friends have the same problems – they are ready to flee the country and go to a new place, where you’re just a nobody, only to be able to breathe freely.
I don’t think that the situation in Georgia will change so much that the LGBTQI community could live safely there. Personally, I will never return to Georgia. My decision is due to many painful experiences, and I don’t want to go through that again.
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Today the Council of Europe Office in Georgia presented the results of the 2018-2021 project “Fight against Discrimination, Hate Crimes and Hate Speech in Georgia”, as well as the main findings of the research “Hate Crime, Hate Speech and Discrimination in Georgia: attitudes and awareness”, which also includes the changes in public attitudes towards diversity in the last three years.
The research report presents an assessment of public perception and awareness of issues such as diversity in Georgian society; Rights of minorities and vulnerable groups; The extent of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Georgian society and their impact on specific groups; National legislation against discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech; Legal protection mechanisms and their effectiveness; The work of various factors on these issues.
The research shows that the level of awareness about diversity in the Georgian society and the positive attitude towards this issue has increased in the period 2018-2021. Compared to 2018, the public is more aware and has more acceptance towards minority rights. Since 2018, the number of people who consider the protection of the rights of the LGBTQI community important has increased from 33% to 47% in 2021. Additionally, the number of people who think that the protection of LGBTQI rights is insignificant has decreased from 44% in 2018 to 29% in 2021.
The survey also examined attitudes towards specific minority groups. In this regard, the question was asked whether the respondent would like to have a business relationship with a representative of a particular group. Overall, data on this level of acceptance indicate a positive trend. According to the data, with this indicator, tolerance towards LGBTQ people has increased by 10% since 2018. Respondents were also asked who they would not like to be in the neighborhood. The data show that the share of the population that would refuse to live in a neighborhood of the LGBTQI community members has decreased by 7%.
The study also included views on important issues for LGBTQI people. According to the results of the surveys, a relatively small change in attitudes is observed. The exception is the decrease in the share of respondents (by 8%) who believe that LGBTQI people do not have any problems in Georgia. The survey also asked the respondents about whether hate speech is used against certain groups in Georgia. The data indicates that, according to the perception of the population, LGBTQI people are most often the targets of hate speech. According to the respondents, the victims of hate crimes in Georgia most often are the LGBTQI people. The data in this regard has not changed substantially.
“While the public attitude towards diversity is becoming more and more positive, there is little or no change in the awareness of Georgian legislation against discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech. Awareness and views on response mechanisms and their effectiveness also remain unchanged.” – We read in the statement published on the page of the Georgian office of the Council of Europe.
The full report of the study “Hate Speech, Hate Crimes and Discrimination in Georgia: Attitudes and Awareness in 2021” is available here in English and Georgian.
Photo: Tbel Abuseridze
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Bisexuality Pride Day is celebrated on September 23. This day was first celebrated in 1999 and its establishment is the work of three American bisexual activists – Wendy Curry, Michael Page and Gigi Raven Wilbur.
In recent years, the bisexual community, as well as the lesbian and gay community, has grown stronger, although bisexuals are still comparatively invisible and even in the queer community there is a biphobic attitude, that they should decide whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. This day was first celebrated with the support of the International Association of Gays and Lesbians (ILGA).
This year there are more than 100 events online and offline in 17 countries around the world. Lowry Bridge, Capella Tower, Target Headquarters were lit in the colors of the bisexual flag in the states; In England, along with many other events, there is a screening of the film, Dear Mom, as well as webinars, forums, marches and other events.
See the full list at the link:
https://bivisibilityday.co
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The lawsuit filed by the Russian authorities calls into question the fate of the Russian LGBTQI organization, which, according to the lawyers, is only the beginning.
A court in St. Petersburg sidelined a lawsuit that had been filed by Russia’s Justice Ministry on Tuesday. The suit accused the Russian LGBT Network of spreading “LGBT views” and engaging in activities that go against “traditional values.” In the suit, Russian officials said they want to “liquidate” the Sphere Foundation, the legal group that operates the LGBTQ organization.
Tanya Lokshina, associate director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, said she expects Russian officials to ask the court to reconsider the case.
“It’s good news for the immediate future,” Lokshina said of the court’s decision not to act on the lawsuit. “Their first step failed, but I don’t think they’re going to give up, because what happened is in sync with the ongoing, very disturbing trend of stifling independent voices in Russia.”
Lokshina said journalists and LGBTQ activists are among those often targeted in these government efforts. She added that they are being painted as foreign aliens who are bringing values that would destabilize and weaken Russian society. She noted that both the Russian LGBT Network and the Sphere Foundation are designated as foreign agents in Russia.
“If you’re gay, as long as you hide it, as long as you do not speak up … it’s OK, but if you speak up … it becomes a very serious problem,” Lokshina said. “The Russian government is ready to tolerate gay people as long as they’re in the closet.”
The St. Petersburg-based Russian LGBT Network is known for leading actions against the country’s anti-LGBTQ policies and actions, including Chechnya’s anti-gay purge, which started making national headlines in 2017. Since then, at least 140 gay and bisexual Chechen men have been abused and detained in the semi-autonomous Russian region, according to Human Rights Watch.
“From the point of view of the Russian government, our very activity goes against the state ideology of traditional values,” Dilya Gafurova, a spokesperson for the Sphere Foundation, said. “However, despite the whims of the political climate, LGBT+ people exist. We refuse to give up and let the government shut us down; we refuse to agree that the very activity of helping LGBT+ people does not correspond to the idea of ‘charity,’ as is stated in their claim. LGBT+ people are the citizens of this country just like every other social group and deserve the same rights and freedoms.”
Gafurova added that this latest effort “seems more and more like the government is trying to make any LGBT+ activism taboo.”
Source: NBC News
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Being transgender is hard, especially in Georgia. You can’t find a job, walk outside, or even simply go into a shop. You cannot use public transportation, so you have to take a taxi every time, which is expensive. You never know when you’ll be attacked. Living in a homophobic place is difficult.
I am a transgender woman, Natalia Macharashvili, 26-years-old. I’m from Imereti, Sachkhere. I grew up in an amazing family, had a wonderful neighborhood. I was only 6 when I realized that I was not a man. When I grew up and realized I could make my own decisions, I moved to Tbilisi at age 14 to start a new life. I became a transgender woman. I started wearing women’s clothes, using perfume and other feminine items.
It was obvious since a young age that I was different. No one really though much of it, saying that it was just some childish things I did.
I lived in a small, beautiful village with my sister and grandparents. I didn’t go through many difficulties as a kid. Sometimes people would call me “Ketino” (Georgian female name) which annoyed me. Surprisingly enough, school was okay as well. I had great classmates and teachers. I would very occasionally get comments on my mannerisms, because I didn’t walk like a boy – I had a very feminine walk.
As I mentioned, I started to discover myself at age 6. I was in love with my classmate, who, of course, was a boy. Since that time I’d always known that I wasn’t interested in boys and that I was different. I could feel it spiritually that I was a woman and only looked like a man. I was young then so I didn’t have the ability to fully express this. I didn’t fully understand what I wanted to do either. When I was alone at home, I could put on women’s clothes and shoes, wear nail polish, which made me very happy.
I publicly came out at the age of 16. I want to a Georgian TV Show and through that everyone found out about my identity. This was the first big step – I wanted everyone to know who I was and I didn’t want to hide myself anymore. It was hard, but better than pretending to be someone I’m not. Of course, my family and relatives were upset and didn’t talk to me for 2 years. But nowadays, I have a great relationship with all the relatives, except for my father.
As for leaving Georgia, that decision was quite hard. Especially difficult was adapting to a foreign environment. At some point I even had to stay in the streets, because I couldn’t rent a place. I went through these hard days and then found some transgender women who helped me with everything.
It is hard for everyone to live in Georgia, regardless of sexuality. However, of course, queers usually have a much harder time. They have to deal with insults and degradation. For example, at the hospital, the doctors treat you very normally, until they find out about your identity.
Once they know, they stop paying attention to you. The attitudes change in a matter of seconds. The situation is the same with the police. I had instances when the police didn’t do anything about a crime when I called them. You can’t pay rent, work. Once I was kicked out of my apartment once the owner found out that I was transgender. Many of us have to do sex-work in order to survive. It’s impossible to even mention the standard of living here. I do not have a single pleasant memory of living in Georgia. Maybe if I did have those, I wouldn’t have left. I was constantly anxious about anything; I was always worried.
After I left Georgia, everything changed. It’s like the world turned upside down. I’m so happy to be in such a nice country, in Belgium. It’s calm here. No one hits you, no one insults you. No one cares about your private life as long as you can be humane and polite. I can’t even compare to Georgia. I go to a school here, I’m studying. I have great classmates, that are quite old – up to the age of 50. The teachers are amazing too. I’m trying to study hard, and finding a job here isn’t a problem. Sometimes, when I go outside, I forget that I’m a transgender woman. I’m just a regular person, running some errands.
I will come back to Georgia if the church accepts people like us and supports us, saying No to violence. Of course I would prefer to live in my country, with my friends and family. If the Georgian society changes, no one will refuse to come back.
I want to say to those people that haven’t come out yet: Do not be afraid of anything, accept yourselves and do not lock yourself away. You will have to go through a hard time, but you can overcome anything, do not forget that.
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The Public Defender of Georgia addressed the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) with a recommendation in the case of sex discrimination, which was issued based on the appeal of professional female players. The interests of female players were represented by the Women’s Initiatives Supportive Group (WISG).
WISG has raised several issues with the ombudsman, including the fact that, unlike men, women players do not have access to health services and various resources, and as a result, their health is compromised and their quality of life is deteriorated. Additionally, women’s reproductive health needs are not addressed in the current GFF regulations.
The WISG survey has demonstrated that more than half of the female players surveyed do not undergo health screening procedures, while 82.2% do not have access to health insurance.
“The insurance package is not tailored to the needs of the player and covers so little medical service that it is almost indistinguishable from the universal healthcare. I, for example, need a fairly expensive medication once every 6 months for post-trauma rehabilitation, which the insurance company refused to reimburse. I have no idea how to cover this expanse with my personal funds, especially with the low pay that I have. Moreover, I think that all the achievements and positive changes in this field should directly affect the professional lives of the girls regardless of their success, recognition, or club status. The fact that some clubs are in a better position in terms of healthcare or insurance does not change the general, alarming situation,” – said Lana Gorgadze, a player of the club Martve, in an interview with WISG.
In the event of an injury or other health problem, communication with administrative staff remains the only way for a player to receive the payment needed for medical examinations, although, as the players’ daily experience shows, neglect by the administration or inadequate, delayed and incomplete assistance is still systematic.
The Public Defender of Georgia considers the circumstance that the regulations of the Georgian Football Federation do not take into account the special needs of women in the field of reproductive health as discrimination, in particular: the mandatory training of doctors of licensed teams does not include sexual and reproductive health issues of female players; In the context of the sexual and reproductive health of female players, no guidance document (standards) on pregnancy and post-pregnancy physical activity of female players has been adopted; Also, the right to motherhood of the female players is inadequately protected.
On January 13, the GFF responded to the Public Defender with a letter stating that it was ready to take into account the sexual and reproductive health issues of female players. Also, a request was made to the Public Defender to develop an appropriate guideline on pregnancy and subsequent physical activity of female players, as the federation does not have the competence to do so.
Photo: GFF
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