LGBTQ+ Activism in Central and Eastern Europe, 2019
In the Introduction to this book, we discuss the wide variation in the impact of social and polit... more In the Introduction to this book, we discuss the wide variation in the impact of social and political environments on local LGBTQ+ activists and communities. Then we provide an outline of the content of the volume according to the three thematic areas: (1) Western perspectives and local context, (2) the role of the state in affecting LGBTQ+ activism, and (3) the development of LGBTQ+ movements in CEE. We explore various issues faced by LGBTQ+ activists, tactics, and strategies they develop and adopt in pursuit of their goals. LGBTQ+ movements in these countries have different level of development depending on political and social contexts. At the same time, some issues are similar, and yet so different, for many LGBTQ+ activists across the globe such as issues of identity, discrimination, and homophobia. LGBTQ+ movements of the region frequently experienced backlashes from the state and society.
This chapter is a comparative case study of (in)visible participation of LGBTI communities in the... more This chapter is a comparative case study of (in)visible participation of LGBTI communities in the anti-governmental protests in Turkey and Ukraine in 2013–2014. It aims to explain the differences in the mobilization practices employed by LGBTI communities during protests that took place in similarly conservative and homophobic contexts. The chapter examines how the choice of collective action strategy shapes the opportunities for real political participation in social movements. Based on the examples of the Gezi protest in Turkey and the Maidan protest in Ukraine, this chapter argues that the use by LGBTI activists of a context-appropriate political discourse to raise demands enhances the movement’s capacities for building transnational networks and creates a possibility for ‘democratization from below’.
Against the backdrop of the conflict with Russia and growing approximation with the European Unio... more Against the backdrop of the conflict with Russia and growing approximation with the European Union (EU), the LGBTI movement in Ukraine seemed to have achieved some of its political goals, such as introducing changes in legislation and holding peaceful equality marches in Kyiv. At the same time, the last decade has seen a growing number of homophobic attacks by right-wing groups across the country, while sociological surveys have shown an increased level of homophobic attitudes. The article questions the factors that caused the mentioned outcomes and examines the role that the EU, Russia, and national stakeholders played in these transformations.
For a long time, civil society in independent Ukraine lacked visibility and seemed passive and un... more For a long time, civil society in independent Ukraine lacked visibility and seemed passive and underdeveloped. Yet lately foreign observers have defined civil society in Ukraine as the richest in the former Soviet Union in terms of the number and variety of organizations. In the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity, as the state institutions are unable to perform their basic functions, civil society organizations (CSOs) have been compelled to take over some of their duties, getting involved into multiple spheres of public life, such as volunteering in the army, crowd-funding for internally displaced people and military needs. They are particularly strong in advocacy for reforms and acting as watchdogs of institutional change. However, while having proven its resilience in crisis, civil society in Ukraine still shows low sustainability and a high level of dependency on foreign donors. Having acknowledged the positive role of foreign donors in the development of national civil socie...
This paper addresses the growing visibility of LGBT civil society organizations in Ukraine's ... more This paper addresses the growing visibility of LGBT civil society organizations in Ukraine's political sphere after the Euromaidan. Drawing on the data collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews; participant observations; and an analysis of social media, this study answers this question: How did Ukrainian LGBT groups reshape their political strategies after the Euromaidan? The Euromaidan was an anti-government, citizens' protest that began in November 2013 in response to the government's unlawful actions. During it, Ukrainian LGBT activists strategically decided to keep their presence in the protest camp invisible. Though this helped to avoid conflicts, the LGBT movement's hopes for reforms in sexual minorities' rights after the Euromaidan remained unfulfilled. This article illuminates how the LGBT activists' approach to the public sphere in post-Euromaidan Ukraine has changed. It argues that the LGBT movement's disillusion over the new govern...
The present chapter discusses the cases of two protest camps at Maidan in Kiev in 2004 and 2013/2... more The present chapter discusses the cases of two protest camps at Maidan in Kiev in 2004 and 2013/2014. It aims to explain the resemblances and differences across the cases and focuses on such issues as resistance practices used by the protesters, resource mobilization strategies and emerging approaches to the camp’s governance and representation in decision making processes. The conceptual triad for space production and infrastructural approach is applied to examine protest camps as a unique organizational form of social movements. Linking together the (re)production of the space, newly adjusted spatial practices and space representation, this chapter argues that detected particular characteristics of Maidan-Sich 2014 can be interpreted as the marks of empowerment of the recently emerged civil society and make of it an important object of study for those who want to grasp the essence of the recent changes of political and social order in Ukraine.
This book takes the globally recognised phenomenon of drag king performances as an opportunity fo... more This book takes the globally recognised phenomenon of drag king performances as an opportunity for critical inquiry into the rise and fall of an urban scene for lesbian and queer women in Sydney, Australia (circa 1999-2012). Exploring how a series of weekly events provided the site for intimate encounters, Drysdale reveals the investments made by participants that worked to sustain the sense of a small world and anchor the expansive imaginary of lesbian cultural life. But what happens when scenes fade, as they invariably do? Intimate Investments in Drag King Cultures is unique in capturing the perspective of a scene at the moment of its decline, revealing the process by which a contemporary movement becomes layered with historical significance. Bringing together the theoretical tradition of scene studies with recent work on the affective potentialities of the everyday and the mobile urban spaces they inhabit, this book has appeal to scholars working across gender, sexuality and cult...
LGBTQ+ Activism in Central and Eastern Europe, 2019
In the Introduction to this book, we discuss the wide variation in the impact of social and polit... more In the Introduction to this book, we discuss the wide variation in the impact of social and political environments on local LGBTQ+ activists and communities. Then we provide an outline of the content of the volume according to the three thematic areas: (1) Western perspectives and local context, (2) the role of the state in affecting LGBTQ+ activism, and (3) the development of LGBTQ+ movements in CEE. We explore various issues faced by LGBTQ+ activists, tactics, and strategies they develop and adopt in pursuit of their goals. LGBTQ+ movements in these countries have different level of development depending on political and social contexts. At the same time, some issues are similar, and yet so different, for many LGBTQ+ activists across the globe such as issues of identity, discrimination, and homophobia. LGBTQ+ movements of the region frequently experienced backlashes from the state and society.
This chapter is a comparative case study of (in)visible participation of LGBTI communities in the... more This chapter is a comparative case study of (in)visible participation of LGBTI communities in the anti-governmental protests in Turkey and Ukraine in 2013–2014. It aims to explain the differences in the mobilization practices employed by LGBTI communities during protests that took place in similarly conservative and homophobic contexts. The chapter examines how the choice of collective action strategy shapes the opportunities for real political participation in social movements. Based on the examples of the Gezi protest in Turkey and the Maidan protest in Ukraine, this chapter argues that the use by LGBTI activists of a context-appropriate political discourse to raise demands enhances the movement’s capacities for building transnational networks and creates a possibility for ‘democratization from below’.
Against the backdrop of the conflict with Russia and growing approximation with the European Unio... more Against the backdrop of the conflict with Russia and growing approximation with the European Union (EU), the LGBTI movement in Ukraine seemed to have achieved some of its political goals, such as introducing changes in legislation and holding peaceful equality marches in Kyiv. At the same time, the last decade has seen a growing number of homophobic attacks by right-wing groups across the country, while sociological surveys have shown an increased level of homophobic attitudes. The article questions the factors that caused the mentioned outcomes and examines the role that the EU, Russia, and national stakeholders played in these transformations.
For a long time, civil society in independent Ukraine lacked visibility and seemed passive and un... more For a long time, civil society in independent Ukraine lacked visibility and seemed passive and underdeveloped. Yet lately foreign observers have defined civil society in Ukraine as the richest in the former Soviet Union in terms of the number and variety of organizations. In the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity, as the state institutions are unable to perform their basic functions, civil society organizations (CSOs) have been compelled to take over some of their duties, getting involved into multiple spheres of public life, such as volunteering in the army, crowd-funding for internally displaced people and military needs. They are particularly strong in advocacy for reforms and acting as watchdogs of institutional change. However, while having proven its resilience in crisis, civil society in Ukraine still shows low sustainability and a high level of dependency on foreign donors. Having acknowledged the positive role of foreign donors in the development of national civil socie...
This paper addresses the growing visibility of LGBT civil society organizations in Ukraine's ... more This paper addresses the growing visibility of LGBT civil society organizations in Ukraine's political sphere after the Euromaidan. Drawing on the data collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews; participant observations; and an analysis of social media, this study answers this question: How did Ukrainian LGBT groups reshape their political strategies after the Euromaidan? The Euromaidan was an anti-government, citizens' protest that began in November 2013 in response to the government's unlawful actions. During it, Ukrainian LGBT activists strategically decided to keep their presence in the protest camp invisible. Though this helped to avoid conflicts, the LGBT movement's hopes for reforms in sexual minorities' rights after the Euromaidan remained unfulfilled. This article illuminates how the LGBT activists' approach to the public sphere in post-Euromaidan Ukraine has changed. It argues that the LGBT movement's disillusion over the new govern...
The present chapter discusses the cases of two protest camps at Maidan in Kiev in 2004 and 2013/2... more The present chapter discusses the cases of two protest camps at Maidan in Kiev in 2004 and 2013/2014. It aims to explain the resemblances and differences across the cases and focuses on such issues as resistance practices used by the protesters, resource mobilization strategies and emerging approaches to the camp’s governance and representation in decision making processes. The conceptual triad for space production and infrastructural approach is applied to examine protest camps as a unique organizational form of social movements. Linking together the (re)production of the space, newly adjusted spatial practices and space representation, this chapter argues that detected particular characteristics of Maidan-Sich 2014 can be interpreted as the marks of empowerment of the recently emerged civil society and make of it an important object of study for those who want to grasp the essence of the recent changes of political and social order in Ukraine.
This book takes the globally recognised phenomenon of drag king performances as an opportunity fo... more This book takes the globally recognised phenomenon of drag king performances as an opportunity for critical inquiry into the rise and fall of an urban scene for lesbian and queer women in Sydney, Australia (circa 1999-2012). Exploring how a series of weekly events provided the site for intimate encounters, Drysdale reveals the investments made by participants that worked to sustain the sense of a small world and anchor the expansive imaginary of lesbian cultural life. But what happens when scenes fade, as they invariably do? Intimate Investments in Drag King Cultures is unique in capturing the perspective of a scene at the moment of its decline, revealing the process by which a contemporary movement becomes layered with historical significance. Bringing together the theoretical tradition of scene studies with recent work on the affective potentialities of the everyday and the mobile urban spaces they inhabit, this book has appeal to scholars working across gender, sexuality and cult...
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