NASH MIR (Our World) Gay and Lesbian Center

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INFORMATION ABOUT NASH MIR

2007 marks 10 years since the birth of Nash Mir (Our World) Gay and Lesbian Centre. Our public organisation began its history in Luhansk in the East of Ukraine in 1997 as a private initiative – in the form of a small informational and educational magazine. A small group of enthusiasts gradually formed around the magazine, establishing a public organisation at the end of 1998. The founders of the organisation set out the following goals:

By our initiative we took upon ourselves the responsibility for educating Ukrainian society about homosexuality, dethronement of recurrent stereotypes and prejudices against gays and lesbians, consolidation of lesbian and gay community, and for advocating our rights.

It turned out that, in Ukraine, there "wasn't a problem with homosexuality" as long as it went unseen. At first, local judiciary officials simply did not know what to do with our organisation! Interviewed by a national newspaper, one official said "How can we recognise them [the organisation] on an official level, as a juridical person? There is no legal basis, though this sort of orientation isn't forbidden, but neither are precedents... If I register them, excuse me, wankers will come, and someone else... And what about morality?" Using far-fetched grounds they refused our registration.

Certainly we didn't let ourselves be humbled by such obvious discrimination. Nash Mir was registered at the end of 1999. But this success was made possible only as the result of a determined battle by the members of the organization for their legal rights, and the steadfast attention to this issue on the part of some international human rights organisations.

The course of Nash Mir's history has passed through several stages in its development – from grassroots group to becoming a sufficiently large organisation. However, considering the shortage of skilled professionals to do such specific work, dependence on external unsteady sources of financing, and the difficulty of managing a public association – since 2006 we have decided to streamline operations and to focus our activity selectively in several directions only.

First, is work directed at informing and supporting the lesbian and gay community in Ukraine. We launched into publication our information, news, and erotic newspaper for gays Gay.Ua. We carry out trainings featuring legal education and the social adaptation of homosexuals. We render legal consultations to assistance-seeking people who have suffered from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Second, is work to modernise public opinion through mass-media, promoting tolerance, and furthering public discussion concerning equality for homosexuals.

Third, Nash Mir is gathering and documenting various information data on the lgbt rights and lifestyle theme, with the purpose of informing state bodies, human rights organisations, and for ongoing, serious lobbying in the interests of lesbian and gay communities.

During recent and past years, our organisation has organised several seminars and three international conferences in Kyiv.

Our publications include reports of research projects we realised, literature on legal education, legislative analysis, and booklets on HIV/AIDS awareness, tolerance, educational materials, and periodicals. Some of our publications are translated into English and can be found on our web-site http://www.gay.org.ua/


Gay.Org.Ua