Polina Blinova, Grade 11
UWCSA Maastricht
I live in an incredibly bewildering time for the still overwhelmingly conservative Russia, where both activists and the government seek morality but end up on the opposing sides of the argument. If truth be told, the farther something is from the “west”, the fewer media coverage it is likely to get, and amidst everything going on in my country at the moment, it is excruciatingly hard for me to not concentrate my writing on something bigger, something so big that it can not be ignored by our political leaders. However, I do understand that this bigger has more chances of being talked about somewhere else. So instead, I choose to speak about individuals hurt by the system; entire movements that were completely suppressed, making the stories of those who fight for our rights on their own here in Russia even more valuable.
Depiction of female bodies in art aimed to eradicate the stigmas placed on them should not be considered inappropriate. Yulia Tsvetkova (Юлия Цветкова), a Russian LGBTQ+ activist and a feminist, has been recently charged for her body-positive drawings and voicing support for the queer community in a small-scale social media page. Yulia is an artist and an activist who is known for creating ‘controversial’ theatre performances for teenagers on gender stereotypes, lectures about LGBTQ+ rights, and sex education programs created for adolescents. She is now facing up to 6 years of imprisonment according to the law.
Going into complex juridical processes is not what I aim to do with this article, however, it is crucial to unravel their significance in the context of Russia. The child protection law qualifies mere drawings of reproductive organs or their description as a violation. It would, therefore, signify that the arrest of Yulia is fully justified. Nevertheless, the court must take into account the purpose of the act, which in the case of Tsvetkova is education and fighting for the abolishment of the taboos placed on female bodies. Schematic illustrations titled “living women have body hair” or “living women have periods” are, in my opinion, not vulgar. Similarly, art should not be considered as such if it is not derogatory or objectifying.
“Homosexual propaganda amongst minors” is another outrageous attempt to create obstacles for the normal life of queer folk in Russia. It is an example of “political homophobia”, and I am personally tired of its existence in my country. Is voicing your support for LGBTQ+ families propaganda? Is being openly gay propaganda? Is telling teenagers about the queer community propaganda? I am yet to see the day when we stop considering this community as a root of debauchery in youth, and its existence as having only detrimental effects on those who come in contact with it.
Yulia says that “it’s cool when you have something you are ready to go to prison for”. It is, indeed, in its core “cool”, but regardless of how “cool” it is, I do not want to see another person that fights for my human rights be jailed, I do not want there to be another “prisoner of conscience”.
There are so many things that are fundamentally wrong with this story, and I do not want people to judge the fact that a lot of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community can not find it in themselves to stand up. It is important to understand our context, and it is important to realise that the feeling of fear is valid. It is difficult to protest when protests are not legal, and it is difficult to talk when you know that the majority is willing to do harrowing things to you because of that. I feel small and I feel scared. I feel marginalised, and this is why I will never stop admiring people who are not afraid to cause change. Yulia Tsevtkova is one of them, and I want others to know her name.
Depiction of female bodies in art aimed to eradicate the stigmas placed on them should not be considered inappropriate. Yulia Tsvetkova (Юлия Цветкова), a Russian LGBTQ+ activist and a feminist, has been recently charged for her body-positive drawings and voicing support for the queer community in a small-scale social media page. Yulia is an artist and an activist who is known for creating ‘controversial’ theatre performances for teenagers on gender stereotypes, lectures about LGBTQ+ rights, and sex education programs created for adolescents. She is now facing up to 6 years of imprisonment according to the law.
Going into complex juridical processes is not what I aim to do with this article, however, it is crucial to unravel their significance in the context of Russia. The child protection law qualifies mere drawings of reproductive organs or their description as a violation. It would, therefore, signify that the arrest of Yulia is fully justified. Nevertheless, the court must take into account the purpose of the act, which in the case of Tsvetkova is education and fighting for the abolishment of the taboos placed on female bodies. Schematic illustrations titled “living women have body hair” or “living women have periods” are, in my opinion, not vulgar. Similarly, art should not be considered as such if it is not derogatory or objectifying.
“Homosexual propaganda amongst minors” is another outrageous attempt to create obstacles for the normal life of queer folk in Russia. It is an example of “political homophobia”, and I am personally tired of its existence in my country. Is voicing your support for LGBTQ+ families propaganda? Is being openly gay propaganda? Is telling teenagers about the queer community propaganda? I am yet to see the day when we stop considering this community as a root of debauchery in youth, and its existence as having only detrimental effects on those who come in contact with it.
Yulia says that “it’s cool when you have something you are ready to go to prison for”. It is, indeed, in its core “cool”, but regardless of how “cool” it is, I do not want to see another person that fights for my human rights be jailed, I do not want there to be another “prisoner of conscience”.
There are so many things that are fundamentally wrong with this story, and I do not want people to judge the fact that a lot of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community can not find it in themselves to stand up. It is important to understand our context, and it is important to realise that the feeling of fear is valid. It is difficult to protest when protests are not legal, and it is difficult to talk when you know that the majority is willing to do harrowing things to you because of that. I feel small and I feel scared. I feel marginalised, and this is why I will never stop admiring people who are not afraid to cause change. Yulia Tsevtkova is one of them, and I want others to know her name.
Bibliography:
https://zona.media/article/2019/11/24/tsvetkova
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/10/lgbt-activist-charged-with-pornography-for-body-positive-vagina-drawings-a70543
https://www.the-village.ru/village/city/comments/368385-monologi-tsvetkovoy
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth
https://www.the-village.ru/village/city/comments/368385-monologi-tsvetkovoy
https://zona.media/article/2019/11/24/tsvetkova
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/10/lgbt-activist-charged-with-pornography-for-body-positive-vagina-drawings-a70543
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth
https://zona.media/article/2019/11/24/tsvetkova
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/10/lgbt-activist-charged-with-pornography-for-body-positive-vagina-drawings-a70543
https://www.the-village.ru/village/city/comments/368385-monologi-tsvetkovoy
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth
https://www.the-village.ru/village/city/comments/368385-monologi-tsvetkovoy
https://zona.media/article/2019/11/24/tsvetkova
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/10/lgbt-activist-charged-with-pornography-for-body-positive-vagina-drawings-a70543
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth
www.unitedworldwide.co