Does anyone here come from ussr area? Or has family from that area? Those are known to be very close minded and even aggressive when it comes to gender or orientation bending. How do they treat you?
I have friends that are soviet and coming out to them was interesting. One friend from Russia once told me "You know, it's strange, there are lots of gay people here in Europe but we don't have them in Russia." , I told her that they probably did but were closeted as it wasn't necessarily well-seen there and she said " No we really don't, the fact is, Russian women are so pretty that men just don't turn gay in Russia." I said nothing but later confessed to her that I was bi, and her reply was " Well, it's fine in your country, so I guess I am fine with it. Why did you chose to be bi though?" And I think it's proof that the homophobia in Russia is mostly based on lack of information. They don't really learn what being gay is and how it works and how it's not a choice. If people think you are voluntarily chosing to do something they obviously don't approve of, they will judge you and betittle you for it. If they learn that this is indeed not a choice and just how it is, they are much more likely to accept it but that's not really the version they are given in Russia. I had a polish friend though who casually found out I was bi and I was a bit worried about what her reaction would be like as I knew soviet countries could be quite homophobic but she immediately confessed to me that she had had a past with women and she seemed totally fine and open about it, so it doesn't seem like it was that big of a deal to her nor that she got a hard time for it in her native country (though I have no idea about wether or not her relationships with women were public or not). It's interesting to look at the different struggles and reactions LGBT people face around the world.
In some parts of Russia they hold witch hunts and burn gay people at the stake... That doesn't happen just from lack of information. It happens because they are taught false information.
That's my point though? Lack of information means lack of accurate information AND proper education regarding homosexuality and a whole bunch of other topics. Hate crimes against gay people happen everywhere, even in more "modern countries". Look at the US right now, not necessarily an example to follow currently in term of LGBT rights and open-mindedness.
I know russia is very homophobic country with lots of close minded people who believe western values are degenerate. Being gay perceieved the same as being a pedophile. Russia is a backwards country. Ironically one of the biggest producers of gay and bdsm porn. Most gay and trans people in russia keep it very low profile, there can be severe implications by people around. If youre a female lesbian it wont be as hard for you as for a gay man in russia as long as you dress very feminine and look nice. But still.
Witch hunts where they burn them? I havent heard of that... source? I know there are far right wing groups who especially gather to hunt gays and beat them up but didnt hear of burning..
Look, from my experience with such people which I have a lot of it, you cant reason with most of them. There would be those who will agree being gay isnt a choice but instead would see it as a sad condition of being born as a handicap abomination. In nicer case they just would feel sorry for you. Alot of people in russia are really against gay education because they fear it would ruin their children by giving them ideas that its normal to be more than being a hetero cis. They will perceive your "explanation" as dangerous brainwashing. Imo russia is a third world, most people there are poor anyway and wanna live backwards. Just a third world christian country.
Like I said. It isn't country or Russian specific though. Most of the time, you cannot reason with homophobic people, wether they are Russian, American or French. People who hold prejudices against other people aren't willing to be educated. Most religious countries aren't gay-friendly, whether they are "First world countries" (the US or Australia for example) or "Third world ones" (Russia and others). Russians are definitely not the only ones thinking teaching anything about homosexuality or portraying gay characters in media could lead to kids being "perverted". It is a very common comment made by homophobes, all over the world (even in my gay-friendly home country). You can be the poorest person on earth that doesn't mean you automatically have to be homophobic. Look at the Emirates, not exactly a poor country, yet extremely homophobic. Look at the US, I personally consider it a "backward country" even though it is one of the most "powerful" countries in the world, because it has (and keep creating) lots of backward laws, racism, homophobia and unwilligness to help the "poorer people in society" is omnipresent there and it just isn't what I call a progressist country (especially under the current presidency). Religion definitely does have an impact on people's mindset and their belief but I don't believe money does.
This was mentioned in my world geography and politics class when we did a review of Russian human rights. The people persecuted by a specific militant group that recruits young white males in Russia primarily hunts immigrants and burns or shoot them was foot noted to include several other minorities include LGBT people. I'll try and find my teacher's source for you though.
For clarification I believe there are two things going on here. a) Its not false information, its hate. b) its bulling. Ever see a group pf people bully someone? It's usually one or two in that group who champion bully behavior. Why? Because they are weak and by bulling someone smaller, weaker they rally others around them. This applies to groups, this applies to governments. , Bullies are weak and deficient in some way. Period.
