News
Nov. 12 - Ex-gay conferences come to West Palm Beach
Nov. 10 - Jeff Lutes resigns as Soulforce Executive Director
Nov. 04 - Maine Votes To Overturn Marriage Equality For LGBT People
Oct. 29 - An IN THE LIFE Special Presentation: Preacher’s Sons
Oct. 29 - Religion-based Prejudice is the Maine Problem
Oct. 23 - Soulforce conference featured in article by Wayne Besen in South Florida Blade.
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2008 Q BLOG FROM EUROPE: Alexey Bulokhov, our Director of International Outreach, is pulling his hair out! Or styling it after latest Euro trends. With all that transpired on the road in 2008, it's a close call... READ ON! Contact alexey@soulforce.org For our latest collaborations worldwide, click here. To see what we were up to in Russia, Italy, Austria and Belgium in 2008, click here. Help build our international outreach by DONATING TODAY. |
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November 13, 2008 - Berlin, Germany
On my way back to Minneapolis, I stopped in Berlin to pay my respect at the new memorial to the LGBT victims of the Nazi regime (pictured below) and visit the Schwules Museum, world’s first official museum of LGBT history. It was an appropriate and powerful way to end this amazing installment of our international outreach. Thank you for your continued support! Stay tuned as we begin to finalize our plans for 2009 and beyond with the help of our new allies and partners worldwide.
November 11, 2008 - European Commission Seminar - Brussels, Belgium
During our time at the ILGA conferences we continued to build our relationship with IGLYO, the International GLBT Youth Organization. We were discussing some potential collaborations and Lucy Nowottnick, one of the IGLYO board members, invited me to attend aone day seminar on "Intercultural dialogue: a challenge for faiths and convictions?" in Brussels as an IGLYO partner. The seminar was organised by the European Commission in the framework of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue to learn from practical experiences and good practices from about 100 organizers, policy makers, and experts in the fields of education and the media, as well as representatives of religious and secular groups active in the field of intercultural dialogue. Glocal Youth, Media Diversity Institute, European Council of Religious Leaders, and many other amazing organizations were there. And so was Soulforce. One of the sentiments in the room was acknowledgement that it is impossible to have a constructive interfaith (or intrafaith!) dialogue in the 21stcentury without gender identity and sexual orientation and corresponding civil rights being one of the key topics in said exchange. I have rarely been prouder of working with our organization! And I take our inclusion in this seminar as a good omen for the future of our international outreach.
Lucy and I outside the Berlaymont Building on the European Commission.
November 6, 2008 - Congress on Persons and Sexuality - Salzburg, Austria
On the historic morning of November 5th, I presented the Equality Ride case study "Claiming Marginal Sexual Identity within Mainstream Religious Culture" at the 5th Global Conference on Persons and Sexuality in Salzburg. Conference topics ranged from identity struggles of Sicilian sex workers to evolution of sexual mores in post-colonial Africa to political implications of sadomasochism. It was a fascinating meeting space for academics, activists, policy makers and cultural observers. Equality Ride and the work of Soulforce attracted much enthusiasm and attention, particularly in light of the election of President Barack Obama and equality losses in California, Arizona, Arkansas and Florida the night before my presentation. I literally lost my voice by the end of the day because I have been answering questions for a few hours engaged in conversation with people from the UK, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, even Iran.
One of the conference presenters was Tina Schermer Sellers, director of medical family therapy program at Seattle Pacific University, one of the campuses on the 2007 Equality Ride west-bound itinerary. It was a fantastic unexpected opportunity for me and everyone else at the conference to get some perspective on our actions. In a recent post-conference email Tina shared with us her thoughts on the Ride visit to SPU: “The Soulforce Q Equality Ride opened space for long needed discussions on sexual oppression. Our school community was able to begin conversations which raised awareness of the discord and oppression experienced by so many of our Christian students and faculty around the issue of sexuality and sexual orientation. It is a conversation fraught with struggle bracketed by years of religious fear and silence, but it is a conversation centered in a desire to love and respect others the way Christ demonstrated. The discussions began in preparation for the visit and centered on a desire to receive the group in a loving and collaborative way. Bringing the issues to the surface has allowed us to move forward in multiple conversations that have needed thoughtful attention. The conversation continued at SPU as students formed and begun to seek official club status for a student organization focused on issues of sexuality.”
Sometimes you have to go halfway around the world to get a good view of your own backyard. A sociologist from Tehran, who is not sure what could happen to their career when/if the topic of their independent research becomes widely known, told me over lunch: "Your organization, it is very powerful. When you change a heart, you don't worry about law. You wait because no dream dies. Ask Obama." I am humbled by the opportunity to share the literal and figurative road to equality with Soulforce and our supporters. The eyes of the world are upon you. And your eyes are on the prize.
The photo is of the Obama sunrise in Salzburg.
November 2, 2008 - ILGA-Europe Conference - Vienna, Austria
The annual ILGA-Europe conferences attract 100+ leaders from across the continent and stretch the definition of Europe to the far reaches of Central Asia. It’s a “who is who” snapshot of the European LGBT movement. Soulforce and MCC are the only non-European organization to have an intentional consistent presence at this gathering. Last year, at first, we were met with a healthy degree of suspicion: “Why are you here? What are you up to?” It is wonderful to see more and more familiar faces, be invited into informal brainstorming sessions and get recognized as a potential viable partner in our common struggle for equality. Soulforce is known and respected beyond American borders.
At a dinner I am sitting across from a young man and we introduce ourselves. Bernard is from the Malta Gay Rights Movement, the island nation’s only LGBT organization. I ask how progress towards equality is going in Malta. He says, “Let me put it this way. Heterosexual divorce is still illegal.” I immediately understand where they are on the grand timeline of LGBT liberation. It is a surprising position for a European nation, but Malta is a Catholic stronghold with a history of social isolation despite being a major cultural crossroads in the heart of the Mediterranean region. I say I am Russian and I represent Soulforce, an American organization that… Bernard does not let me finish my introduction. “No way! I just got a package of books from Gary!” It is now my turn to scream “no way!” We spend the evening talking about grassroots organizing, non-violence, the Equality Ride… Turns out Malta will host next year’s ILGA-Europe gathering and one of its major themes will be religion and interfaith work. Bernard and I agree to connect later to see if/how Soulforce can be of service in planning that conference.
We attended both sessions of the workshop on addressing the religious right, presented by Rev. Elder Diane Fisher of Metropolitan Community Churches. Both times the room is packed to capacity. Religion-based oppression is one of the growing concerns for the LGBT movements in Europe and beyond, even in countries that have succeed in secularization. Most people voiced their frustration with the fact that in addition to homegrown prejudice they have to deal with serious homophobia exported from the United States. I met more people that were conversant in rhetoric, tactics and wide impact of Pat Robertson, the Heritage Foundation, Focus on the Family and the like in Vienna than I ever have in New York. Rev. Diane gave Soulforce a shout-out and asked me to talk briefly about the Equality Ride. Cue in flurry of business cards. The following morning we had a long breakfast with Rev. Diane to learn from her/MCC experience in being an ally to local LGBT movement in Europe and what it means to be of service here. I believe we are on the right track with our outreach and growing partnerships. In other great news, Haven Herrin was elected to the board of ILGA North America.
October 29, 2008 - Take That Gender! - Bologna, Italy
As part of the training course, we brought two additional young adult leaders to provide an experiential component to the program. On a beautiful crisp morning, Soulforce’s own Haven Herrin conducted an outdoors workshop on heteronormativity and institutionalized gender-based violence using the Old Testament story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a point of departure, followed by a very fruitful and heated debate. The participants were asked to break into same-gender couples for a social experiment in the central part of Bologna.
Since we were all strangers in a strange land, we wanted to test the boundaries of hospitality and gender norms. Couples were asked to walk around the main square area holding hands and exhibiting same-sex affection to the extent they felt comfortable, going into cafes, souvenir shops and doing all the things typical tourist couples might. On a rotating schedule, everyone got a chance for first-hand experience of all kinds of attention the manifestation of LGBT identity and any other gender transgressions invite. After just a few hours in public we had reports of verbal assaults, suspicious followings, nuns crossing themselves at the site of two women embracing each other, hostile stares, spitting in the direction of a couple, etc. And this is in broad daylight the middle of one of Italy’s most liberal college towns! The corresponding debriefing and discussion was extraordinary enlightening.
We also had the good fortune of Vanja Hamzic’s company and expertise. Vanja is a co-founder of LOGOS, a Q sister organization based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and working at the intersection of faith and gender/sexuality in the Balkans. He is currently a graduate law fellow at the University of Nottingham in England. He led a workshop titled “Engendered Identities: Undoing Multiple Discrimination” which helped all the participants place gender and sexuality advocacy in a broader context of human rights and related identity struggles.
In the beginning of the course my fellow trainer Essie asked participants to share their expectations and aspirations for the course in the form of paper seeds which we planted in the Take That Gender Garden on one of the walls. They also shared their frustrations and challenges in the form of paper stones placed on top of the seeds. Throughout the course of the week, we all had a chance to track the progress of their expectations by drawing sprouts and further imaginary plants from their seeds. Everyone took that project up with enthusiasm and by the end of the course we had a magnificent magical garden to reflect on! Many relationships started in Bologna, skills and practices exchanged and real collaborative project ideas were formed. Here’s to seeing many of them come to fruition in the months and years to come!
October 28, 2008 - Take That Gender! – Bologna, Italy
California, Beijing, Moscow or Bologna… Grassroots is grassroots is grassroots. The last phase of preparing the week-long training course took place in the spacious kitchen of our fabulous Italian partner, Giada. We gathered there to iron out last minute logistical details, review our curriculum, and finalize the necessary hand-outs, materials and so on. It looks like I am blessing the schedule of the day, and I probably was :)
I had the good fortune of working on this training course with three of the most dedicated and inspiring activists: Giada Cotugno from Italy, Essie Arbiv from Israel and Nizar Ghanem from Lebanon. We challenged each other’s assumptions, methodologies, learning practices, and together tried to design a truly multicultural approach to investigating the gender/sexuality realities of our participants. I have learned a great deal from them and look forward to implementing some of the lessons in our campaign organizing back in the States. 
Take That Gender brought together twenty four amazing young adult leaders from the following countries: Lithuania, United Kingdom, Israel, Spain, Morocco, Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lebanon, Bosnia, and Italy. The diversity of perspectives, experiences and identities was almost overwhelming at first, but proved crucial to the success of the course. We started with a series of physical challenge to build group dynamics, but also to begin understanding how individuals and communities embody and navigate gender. The capricious Apennines weather cooperated and we wre able to utilize the beautiful countryside for this part of the course.
Through mini-lectures, presentations, discussions, team challenges, site visits, performances and expert involvement we covered much ground in the short intense time we spent together: issues surrounding terminology and language of gender/sexuality-related work, including what we can learn about gender from the plethora of insults; role of religion in formation of gender identity, including a survey of different creation narratives and their impact on societal development; ways in which gender/sexuality is embodied and manifested in private spaces and communities; gender-based violence, its roots and implications; practical ways to counter gender/sexuality oppression and development of projects and coalitions. Soulforce has found several potential partners for our work both in the US and overseas.
During one of the segments of the course, we challenged the participants to reconceptualize the way gender is embodied in the 21 century and design clothing that would manifest new ideas about gender equality and sexuality mainstreaming. Four teams had about 10 hours to create two outfits for Pat and Chris, our mannequins. Each team of designers had to explain their take on embodiment of the future as they presented their creations. It was a fun evening with much debate about masculinity, femininity, thresholds of practicality, cultural significance of different body parts, etc. Following the fashion show we asked teams to regroup and discuss what would happen to each member of their team if they wore each of the showcased outfits in their hometown today. And why. The resulting discussion highlighted an uncomfortably common link between boundaries of self-expression and the threat of gender-based violence. We explored this topic more in depth in the following days.
Participants were asked to bring with them personal photos, media samples and other visual materials of their choice that reveal their own formation of gender identity as well as gender/sexuality-related ideas present within their local culture. Groups worked on collages using all the pictures to create the gender and culture continuum, visually mapping our paths to identity and ways in which we navigate the societal norms. What are the threads connecting London, Jerusalem, Vilnius and the rest of the world? What stands in the way of equality and self-expression? What aids our discoveries and affirmation? The collage process and resulting discussions were rather challenging and very informative.
With so many cultures under the same roof, it was only a matter of time before conversation came around to good food. We organized an international dinner which gave all participants an opportunity to showcase their cooking skills and prepare a traditional meal. Nevermind the logistics of 20 cooks in one kitchen, it was one of the most touching and exciting evenings we shared. Round the world in 40 helpings of deliciousness! With a side of serious discussions about the cultural gendering of foods, both in preparation and consumption, for example steak vs. soufflÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂé.
The closing part of the training course took place in Bologna in conjunction with the GenderBender Festival hosted by Cassero LGBT Center. The center is a fascinating space that occupies two levels of the old salt trading station and has its own bridge over a moat and the giant disco cellar. More about our activities at Cassero, which featured two invited experts, in the next blog installment.
Onwards to ILGA conferences in Vienna and promoting Soulforce and the Equality Ride at the Global Conference on Persons and Sexuality.
Friday, October 17, 2008 - Bologna, Italy
I took a week to wrap things up in Russia and make my way to Italy for the next installment of our fall outreach in Europe. Here is a link to the festival's website for comprehensive media coverage and future updates. Side-by-Side. There are more articles in the Russian language version of the same page, so befriend a Russian and get your intercultural dialogue on! :) Another link for the photos from St Petersburg events by the festival's official photographer Lida Mikhaylova. Pictures. Make sure to check out her other interesting projects! In a recent interview with the local MK newspaper, Anton Gubankov, the spokesperson for the St Petersburg Municipal Committee on Culture, remarked: "The committee does not object to this kind of event. Nor supports it. Personally, I think the city is not ready yet. All in due time." Personally, I hope next year will prove that time has come. Soulforce will continue to work with the brave festival organizers and their grassroots supporters to ensure public success of the festival in October 2009.
Festival organizers Irina Sergeeva and Manny de Guerre.
You know how I said in St Petersburg there seemed to be an amazing church almost everywhere you turned your head. Well... Italy beats Russia by at least a dozen to one when it comes to church per square mile per population ratio. Granted, it had the whole center-of-the-Christian-world thing going for a few centuries before Peter starting thinking about becoming Peter The Great. I spent a couple quiet days with friends, letting the Appenine sun dry my laundry, catching my breath, catching up on work and the Daily Show election coverage online. Now I am shifting my focus to Take That Gender! the Euro-Med training course on intercultural dialogue around religion, gender and lifestyle. Our four person prep-team is coming together tomorrow for last minute updates and adjustments. Then on Tuesday, young adult community leaders from fifteen countries arrive in Bologna for a week of intense peer education. Awesome!
Ciao ;)
Sunday, October 5, 2008 - St. Petersburg, Russia
Dear friends,
We had a uniquely challenging time in St Petersburg riding the pendulum between feeling impotent, fearful, lucky, supportive, doubtful, resentful, occasionally hopeful and even joyful. I guess that’s not really a pendulum trajectory, is it? More like, all over the emotional spectrum. This has been a singular experience. In all other Soulforce campaigns over the past three years, I could often identify self as a direct agent of history and change as our actions usually engage a specific place, policy, circumstance. This one… Side-by-Side festival is taking on a culture and I feel lost in the effort. I want to do more, be more, give more. I remind myself maybe this is one of those times when one falls back on whatever faith one has to trust the process and let it flow its course.
Nevermind intimidation. Nevermind the money. Over the last two days dozens and dozens of people were vacuum-packing into word-of-mouth free screenings in undisclosed locations to claim their Homecoming crowns. Laptop projector onto the widest wall. Such overwhelming thirst. Hearts skipping beats in unison so that in the silence of suspended lives, in the flutter of foreign sounds and colors, a dream perhaps yet mute and black-n-white can recognize itself as a Local. To cry together, together for the first time, for those on the screen and off, immediately to the left, or far behind. A weeping crowd knows no injustice, only compassion. How would you subtitle love?
In what was already unfolding as one of the most surreal moments of my routinely surreal life, I was having coffee with John Cameron Mitchell waiting for the end of Hedwig screening nearby so that he could deliver festival closing remarks. We were covering much coffee-talk ground and then he asked if I would listen to him sing a song in Russian. He’d been practicing for the upcoming occasion and wanted to double check his pronunciation. OK. I’m anticipating one of the recognizable folk classics all foreigners tend to favor as an easy entry point into a different culture. John begins to sing the theme song from a nightly television show for children “Good Night, Kids” which features puppet animals that watch a cartoon before going to bed. It has been on the air since 1964 and literally every single living Russian person above the age of three knows this lullaby by heart. Even if they don’t know that they know it, they do. Just start humming those opening chords and words will flow from someplace we store all things first: hugs, rainbows, dragonfly wings, bruises, tricycle wheels, secrets.
That's when it hits me: what if this whole festival been just for me? Can this be my own chance at closure? What if in this preoccupation with providing opportunities for others, I am missing something that has been waiting here for me as well? Could this be an instance where I am not an agent, but merely a subject of history; if not the world’s, then perhaps my own? Is this where I change? I recognize that I have completed the largest full circle of my life. I can recite every answered prayer and Craigslist ad that led me here. To a cafe in St Petersburg, across from John Cameron Mitchell. And from beyond his eyes to beyond mine, Hedwig is singing a lullaby to a fellow girlie boy.
I don't know what I have done to deserve this (I blame past life) and I wonder what lies ahead if this is paying forward ... and I breathe. And I correct the way he says the word “we” in Russian. And we go over the song once more. John meets the audience in a dimly lit and poorly ventilated basement. They’ve sat there for six hours through three feature films, a few shorts and a lifetime worth of affirmation. He praises the tenacity of the festival organizers Irina, Manny and Ksenia. He praises the audience. Then he praises the city officials for an unprecedented demonstration of commitment and efficiency in shutting down the festival. “They worked so hard, they must be exhausted! I have a song for them…” John doesn’t get through the opening line before the crowd goes nuts. By the second verse, the whole place is singing and within minutes a few more dozen boys and girls exorcize the demons of their childhood in a sing-along that could blow any megachurch chorale out of the water. Satyagraha is alive and well.
I smoke a cigarette at the grave of Mikhail Kuzmin, author of the novel Wings I quoted in the previous blog entry. He is buried in this city and I pay my respects. Seasons are changing and it pours maple leaves. Smoke and steam rise out of my lungs and up through the cracks in the low overcast sky. This has been the best Equality Ride stop of my Soulforce life. We weren't allowed on campus, but it turned out that campus is just as illusory a space as the mirage of patriarchal heteronormativity. Campus is wherever learning and growing occur. Campus is wherever eager students of life teach each other everything they know the best way they know how. Side by Side. This cancelled festival was a resounding success. And you know what? Saint Petersburg fire department was right! Love, hope and faith are dangerous. And the greatest threat of these three is love. It can turn a lullaby into a defiant battlecry for equality.
Friday, October 3, 2008 - St. Petersburg, Russia
Oh my… What a firestorm did Battleship Aurora ignite! And to fight fire with fire, the fire department arrived at both official festival venues the night before the opening day and shut them down for safety code violations! Just like that. Normally, under Russian law, fire department has to present any public venue with a list of violations, give two weeks to fix the problems and then schedule a court hearing which reviews whether or not the fire safety standards were upheld and decides the fate of the place in question. In this case, the case went straight to court and one venue is closed for 10 days (which also jeopardizes the experimental music festival scheduled there for after Side-by-Side) while the other is closed indefinitely/permanently. The speed and efficiency of the bureaucratic machine impressed even the seasoned local activists! The festival organizers found out about the lockdown from the club owners and not from the authorities.
On what was to be the opening night screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, festival producers Irina and Manny and I arrived early at the venue. We were met with strong law enforcement presence. Electricity was shut off in the venue. There were regular policemen with demonstratively visible batons, representatives from the Ministry of Emergency Situations who typically deal with earthquakes, floods and other national disasters, a court bailiff and a transport van. Several supporters in the area informed Irina that there were two busloads of police in the side streets as well as several cars with what appeared to be private security personnel wearing ski masks. It would not have been fair to unleash this machinery onto unsuspecting audience members and guests of the festival. Dozens were turned away at the door and many more did not even make it that far. A cancelation notice went out via email and a press conference was called instead of festivities. Once the media began to arrive, the law enforcement presence began to diminish. Festival producers made statements and answered questions for nearly two hours.
This morning a public forum was held featuring the jury, several filmmakers, guest of honor John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig & Shortbus) and yours truly. All expressed disappointment and disapproval of such underhanded developments. I’ll post a link to the transcript and coverage of this event once it’s available. Here is the translation of my remarks:
“My name is Alexey Bulokhov and I am here to represent Soulforce and the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So by filmmaker Dan Karslake. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers of this unique and historic event for all their hard work and dedication, as well as to the people, the business and media community of St Petersburg who continue to support Side-by-Side.
As a Russian, I am sincerely disappointed that this film cannot be introduced to the Russian audience. It is a deeply humane film that calls upon the founding Biblical principles of compassion, respect, and love in striving for social harmony. Its heroes are ordinary faithful families, leading theologians and even the Novel Peace Prize laureate the Reverend Desmond Tutu. I am sure this film contributes to the advancement of the civil society and it is my hope that it can still be seen here.
The films in the Side-by-Side program explore the relationship between parents and children, brothers and sisters, issues of aging and health. These are not special, minority interests, but basic human concerns. To so actively counter the well-being of many Russian families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members during the National Year of the Family and during the national multiyear campaign for social tolerance is highly hypocritical of those people and parties involved in decision making regarding this matter.
The bitter irony of the moment is that St Petersburg today is host to the German-Russian diplomatic dialogue which includes the Russian president and members of the German parliament. Just half a century ago Germany learned firsthand that when the national policy of advancement of family and people includes persecution of the LGBT community, the long term results are tragic. I hope we can learn from history and chose a better path for Russia. Interference with the festival program is an unfortunate mistake, but a mistake that can be corrected. I call upon those in power to reevaluate their decision and allow the Side-by-Side festival program to proceed as scheduled, including the Saturday screening of For the Bible Tells Me So.”
In my 48 hours in St Petersburg I am continuously overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing churches throughout the city and the sheer will of the festival organizers who keep pushing against all odds. It seems that unless you are trapped in the maze of palatial colonnades along one of the Neva embankments, your eyes fall upon a steeple at every turn. This is a city with deep honorable heritage which is being undermined by the Side-by-Side cancelation. Short of projecting the films onto the side of battleship Aurora in an act of civil disobedience (trust me, this has been considered, LOL), there is apparently nothing that can be done officially at this point. However, the festival organizers are looking for creative ways to bring the films to the local LGBT community, including free underground screening house parties. As Irina Sergeyeva put it, “We have incredible films. We have the incredible jury. We have an incredible audience. Incredibly, this festival is happening one way or another.”
The sentiment of resilience and defiance that echoed throughout the forum earlier today reminded me of two quotes from a novel “Wings” by Mikhail Kuzmin. Published in 1906, it was the first literary work in Russia to tackle the issue of homosexuality and offer affirmation to its questioning protagonist. It is set in St Petersburg and I reread it on my way here.
“It’s not true what the old women say, making out the body is sinful, flowers, beauty are sinful, washing yourself is sinful. Wasn’t it the Lord that created it all: the water, and the trees, and the body? It’s sinful to resist the Lord’s will: when, for example, someone is marked for something, strains for it, and it’s not allowed – that’s sinful!”
Please, stay tuned and help support this truly grassroots effort in Russia. A young queer person I met last night told me, “I cried so hard just watching the trailers on the website. I cannot believe it is actually happening. I was hoping to bring my mother here.” In words of Mikhail Kuzmin: “The body itself, matter, will perish, and works of art, Phidias, Mozart, Shakespeare, let’s say, will perish, but the idea, the type of beauty enshrined in them cannot perish, and that is, perhaps, the only valuable thing in the changing and transient diversity of life. And no matter how crude the realizations of those ideas might be, they are divine and pure.”
I leave you with the image of Peter the Great, one of humanity's greatest visionaries whose passion for justice, cultural exchange and international people-to-people dialogue gave birth to this improbable city and ushered Russia onto the world stage as an equal player. It is his relentless spirit that I call upon tonight to help manifest his timeless dream here and now.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - St. Petersburg, Russia
I made it to St. Petersburg... It is a truly magnificent city and magnificent is not a word that can be thrown around in Russia! Since its birth in a Peter the Great's dream, this city has been a mythical landmark for Russians. If one wanted to make money or pursue political power, one went to Moscow. If you wanted to find freedom and realize your dreams, you went to St Petersburg. Throughout centuries it has attracted artists, literati, philosophers, and LGBT people (with much overlap, no doubt). While Moscow is the historic administrative seat of the Russian Orthodox Church, its mystic heart is beating in the squares of St Petersburg. There are amazing churches on - what seems like - every block (these few are within 5 minutes of my hostel). It is only appropriate that Russia's first LGBT film festival would take place here and feature "For the Bible Tells Me So"! I'm sure when Peter said "build it!", he meant "and Soulforce will come!"
The festival opens tomorrow, but already it has seen its share of controversy and obstacles. The Side-by-Side announcement earlier this year created so much debate in the media that two informal groups of celebrities, filmmakers, and activists emerged. One for it. One against it. And while conversation has not always maintained an air of civility, it has not faded for months... This is one of the most highly anticipated events on the city's already oversaturated fall cultural calendar! Two weeks ago the multiscreen cinema complex that had signed on as the festival's official venue canceled the contract despite strong ticket sales citing "administrative difficulties." Organizers were left with just days to secure alternative venues that could accomodate the entire festival program... Luckily, it has worked out. Although, many are fearful that the new partners will pull out at the very last minute or during the festival giving in to pressure and threats.
The three person jury of the festival is made up of Klaus Mabel Aschenneller, managing director of the Berlin Film Festival, popular Russian singer-songwriter with a huge LGBT following Svetlana Surganova and the artistic director of NewFest in New York City, Basil Tsiokos. The universe moves in mysterios ways. In June, I had the privilege of attending NewFest to support ASK NOT and EQUALITY U, two documentaries that feature the work of Soulforce Q... And here our paths cross again! We must be doin' something right, folks!
While my feet were pounding the Neva embankments today, my heart was on the vigil line in Lynchburg, VA. Don't forget to follow the Equality Riders as they make the most of their first stop, Liberty University. My journey with Soulforce began there almost three years ago and all involved have come far... I leave you by the Battleship Aurora, which famously signaled the beginning of the Soviet revolution in 1917. A century later, may it signal another revolution in the hearts and minds of Russians... Stay tuned. Stay strong. Stay in love.
Saturday, September 27, 2008 - Novocherkassk, Russia
Welcome to the Soulforce Q international blog! My name is Alexey and I am your international liaison...
I was born and raised in the Soviet Union and this fall is a personal and professional homecoming of sorts for me. I have arrived to Russia a couple days prior to the beginning of the Side by Side festival in St Petersburg to visit my family in the south of the country, my hometown Novocherkassk, the place where I grew up and my spiritual journey began. I wanted to connect with my loved ones and the spaces that have shaped me before presenting For the Bible Tells Me So at Russia’s first LGBT film festival. Historic moments should be rooted in proper heritage.
Pardon the delay, but it took me 39 hours of straight-through travel to get from Minneapolis to Novocherkassk and about 18 hours of sleep to rewire myself for the 9 hour time difference. For example, while millions of Americans watched the first presidential debates in primetime on Friday night, I watched them live on Russian television with my Saturday morning coffee... There was a live interpreter on air, but for my bilingual self the whole thing again drove home the point that “some things can get lost in translation” :)
I promise to write more and with greater detail about our journey in Russia and elsewhere, but for now I want to show you the Novocherkassk Cathedral where I was baptized as a Russian Orthodox in my early teens. It is the fifth largest cathedral in Europe and it was here that I first learned about Jesus Christ and discovered the power of prayer. Here my idea of faith was challenged by prejudices and transformed into what it is today. It is a powerful symbol in the lives of many southern Russians and I will leave for St Petersburg next week having lit quite a few candles.
One of the candles will definitely burn in deep gratitude for the showing of support the 2008 Equality Riders received in their moment of urgent need this week. I had the crazy luck of riding on that first bus in 2006 and the privilege of being a co-director last year. I know those unique pressures and frustrations well. I cannot begin to tell you how inspiring and empowering it is for those of us on the road to hear from all of you all across the country (and the world!) and to feel your support. For a moment, it can get lonely, scary, and seem hopeless out there. Every message, every cooked meal, and every single contribution shows just how many justice seekers we got in our midst! And then it can get really crowded, even the metaphorical bus is small! :) … just kidding, equality loves company way more than misery does! So keep ‘em coming, loves.
You know, come to think of it, my journey this fall is kinda like the Equality Ride sidecar. Over the next few weeks together we’ll roll through the American South and the Russian North, Soulforce-style. You don’t want to miss any of it!!!
P.S. …now I’m going to finish my coffee looking out my childhood window and think of yall. Alexey
Help build our international outreach by DONATING TODAY. For our latest collaborations worldwide, click here. To see what we were up to in Russia, Italy, Austria and Belgium in 2008, click here.
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