United under the Rainbow? - Political lesbian perspectives in Europe

By Daniela Zysk on Monday, March 21, 2011 - 23:09

The first conference for the networking of eastern and western European lesbians entitled ‘United under the rainbow?’ was held in Dresden, Germany, from March 11-13.

The event was organised by the wonderful team of the local association Frauen leben Vielfalt (Lesbians Living Diversity) and around forty women from five different European countries came together for a weekend to discuss the different situations relating to homosexuality in their home countries. There were six different work shops with themes such as ‘Lesbian life in Hungary or Poland’ and ‘Lesbians and the church’. In the subsequent panel discussions, potential support possibilities were examined.

It always makes a difference if one exchanges personal experiences with those actually concerned rather than only reading about the difficult situation for homosexuals in other countries. A few points were even interesting for lesBians from the rather liberal western countries.

For example, since 1961, homosexuality has been decriminalised in Hungary between men over 20 years of age. This was decades before this happened in Germany. Also, adoption and insemination for women wanting to have children is much easier in some eastern European countries than in the ‘enlightened’ western nations. Admittedly, the situation is more difficult for partnered lesbians in these countries. Generally speaking, legislation for the protection of homosexuals in many former Eastern Bloc countries appears to be much more advanced than actual acceptance in society. Find out more about this topic at non-discrimination.net.

As a German, I found the report about the lesbian movement in the former German Democratic Republic very interesting. From 1983 onwards under the umbrella of the protestant church, diverse gay meetings were founded in different eastern German cities such as Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden. The condition for such meetings was always an open and tolerant minister who held out his protective hand for the group. The amalgamation of homosexuality and the church very much depended on the peace movement, which both groups belonged to. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, this partnership of convenience disbanded very quickly.

One thing became very clear in the panel discussions. For many lesbians from the west, Pride events have for many years no longer belonged to their agendas. However, for homosexuals from the east, these events have become more important than ever before. Also, the flagship mega Pride events in Cologne, Madrid and London have been picked up as being very positive for homosexuals from eastern Europe and under locally tightened homophobic circumstances are played out as their own Pride events.

All convictions were put aside regarding whether or not Prides in the west are becoming too commercial. It is also not what many of the brave and very dedicated lesBians from the east had hoped for from their fellow combatants in the west. A look at the bigger picture is called for and if possible a visit to one of the Pride events there. Because a homophobic politician dreads nothing more than negative PR in the west and the associated risk of a reprimand from EU headquarters in Brussels. Therefore, I have already noted down the dates for Pride in wonderful Budapest on the 18th of June.

So, what do you think of all this? Should the east and west join forces? What can we do to help each other and what’s it like in your country? Let us know in the comments.

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