A two-day seminar, called "Organization of legal help for LGBT" (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders), was recently held in St. Petersburg for an audience comprising of lawyers, District Attorney representatives and judges from Arkhangelsk, Tomsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Murmansk, Perm, Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. The seminar was conducted in conjunction with the program "Legal Aid," sponsored by the Interregional Community Movement "Russian LGBT Network".
The main goal of the event, as described by its organizers, is to develop mechanisms and methods of legal protection of the interests of the LGBT community in Russia. To achieve this, topics such as the human rights protection system, European standards concerning the rights of LGBT people, the practice of the European Court in Human rights, the fight against abuse of law enforcement agencies in relation to gays and lesbians, the legal provision of public events, registration of LGBT organizations , the protection of same-sex families and, in particular, their parental rights, the restoration of labor rights in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, and the legal status of transgender people were discussed.
"Our organization shows special concern to creating conditions for access to legal help for homosexuals and transsexuals," said the chairman of the Interregional Community Movement "Russian LGBT Network" Igor Petrov after the seminar. "Unfortunately," he continued, "gays, lesbians and transgenders face systematic violations of their rights and are often unable to receive professional legal help ..."
Translated by Timothy Grishin