"Legal Initiative"

The Rights of LGBTQ+ People in Belarus Are Systematically Violated

Since 2010, negative public statements, reports of homophobia-driven attacks, and lobbying for "traditional values" by representatives of Belarusian religious institutions have appeared in the media. The lack of public discussion regarding LGBTQ+ rights has led to LGBTQ+ individuals becoming targets in 2020.

The report highlights:

• How law enforcement used physical and psychological violence against LGBTQ+ individuals

• How LGBTQ+ people were subjected to insults

• How hair color, length, or clothing became grounds for violence and torture

• How authorities used forced outings as a tool of repression

This report was co-authored with the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and is based on data provided by the International Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna."

Сам доклад

Torture of LGBTQ+ Individuals
and the Regime's Homophobic Policies

A Report by the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus
in collaboration with the Legal Initiative

Based on data collected by the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and the Human Rights Center "Viasna."

 

Introduction

The rights of LGBTQ+ individuals are systematically violated by the Republic of Belarus. These violations affect numerous categories of human rights, including the right not to be subjected to torture, the right to a fair trial, the right to be free from discrimination (equality), and others. Negative public statements at the highest levels, along with active lobbying by Belarusian religious institutions (churches, cathedrals) or pro-religious organizations advocating for "traditional values," directly contribute to discrimination and create a conducive environment for hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals. The events of 2020 revealed the extent of state-sponsored homophobia in Belarus.

 

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 2
Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ People – Key Findings .................................... 4
State-Sanctioned Homophobia ................................................................................. 6
“Apologies” for Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity ................................. 9
State Agenda Regarding LGBTQ+ People After the 2020 Events ........................ 11
Torture in Detention Facilities, Custodial Settings, and Correctional Institutions Against LGBTQ+ Individuals and Those Perceived as LGBTQ+ by Law Enforcement ........................................................................................... 13
Humiliation of Individuals Through LGBTQ+ Degradation .............................. 13
Hair Color and Length as a Pretext for Violence and Torture ........................... 14
Clothing and Possessions as Grounds for Further Torture ............................... 15
Forced Coming Out¹ and Outing² ........................................................................ 17
Threats of Sexualized Rape ..................................................................................... 18
Physical Violence Against Individuals for Being LGBTQ+ ............................... 19
Testimonies of Physical Violence Due to LGBTQ+ Identity, Including Assumptions Based on Appearance ............................................................... 20
Sexualized Violence ................................................................................................. 21
Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 22

¹ Forced coming out – the public disclosure of a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their voluntary consent, in the absence of free and safe circumstances.
² Outing – the public exposure of a person’s LGBTQ+ identity without their voluntary consent.

Discrimination against LGBTQ+ people – key findings

As of April 2023, based on data from the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and the Human Rights Center "Viasna," psychological violence in the form of insults, humiliation, and threats was used in detention facilities, holding centers, and correctional institutions against individuals who appeared "non-normative"¹. Law enforcement officers frequently employed humiliation through homophobic slurs such as "faggots," "chickens," "queers," and others. These derogatory terms were used even against detainees who did not explicitly identify themselves as members of the LGBTQ+ community. The goal of such actions was not only to degrade but also to instill fear of more severe physical and sexualized violence. People who exhibited a "non-normative" appearance faced a higher risk of torture.

The invisibility of LGBTQ+ individuals in society and the lack of serious discussion about their rights are recurring themes in this report. Many LGBTQ+ people conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity in daily life due to fear of negative reactions at school, in the workplace, in their place of residence, or within their families. They worry that if others become aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity, it may lead to discrimination, persecution, rejection, or even violence².

In detention facilities, holding centers, and correctional institutions, concealing one’s identity is significantly more challenging, as law enforcement officers have access to all personal belongings (from bags to phones). Declaring one’s LGBTQ+ identity in such environments can lead to an escalation of violence by security forces.

¹ In this report, "non-normative" appearance refers to any deviation from conventional gender norms of "man" and "woman" and societal expectations of how men and women should look. For example, "men" with short hair, no makeup, or specific clothing styles.

² Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Europe (Council of Europe Publication): https://rm.coe.int/-/16807b8ae5 (accessed: 26/04/2023).

 

State-sanctioned homophobia

Homophobia and homophobic behavior¹ have been prevalent in Belarus for a long time, even at the highest levels of government. Since 2010, public statements from Alexander Lukashenko containing homophobic rhetoric have been recorded in the media² ³.

The first documented homophobic attack in Belarus took place in 2014. In 2015, the victim, Mikhail Pishchevsky, died due to severe injuries that resulted in the removal of one-fifth of his brain. The attacker, Dmitry Lukashevich, was convicted of "malicious hooliganism" and "infliction of grievous bodily harm through negligence." He was sentenced to 2.8 years in a penal colony and ordered to pay 213 million Belarusian rubles (approximately $12,000) in compensation. However, in early October 2015, Lukashevich was released under an amnesty⁴. After Mikhail passed away in the hospital, his sentence was extended by one year. The court never acknowledged the homophobic nature of the crime⁵.

A similar incident occurred in August 2019. An unidentified man attacked a group of LGBTQ+ individuals on Oktyabrskaya Street in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Among the victims was Belarusian filmmaker and cameraman Nikolai Kuprich, who sustained multiple hematomas and a broken nose. Another man was hospitalized. The court found the attacker guilty of "malicious hooliganism" and sentenced him to 1.5 years of restricted freedom without placement in an open-type correctional facility⁶.

In both cases, the state turned a blind eye to the hate-driven nature of the crimes, classifying them as "hooliganism" rather than hate crimes.

In March 2020, Vladislav Volokhovich, the director of the anti-abortion organization "Open Hearts," along with Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz (Catholic Church) and Archpriest Andrei Lemeshonok (Orthodox Church), gathered 52,600 signatures in a collective appeal to Lukashenko. The petition urged him to "initiate a law banning the propaganda and public display of homosexuality and other sexual perversions to minors." The petitioners claimed their goal was to "preserve traditional values," which they defined as chastity before marriage, marital fidelity, large families, openness to childbirth, and the understanding of family as a union between a man and a woman. Additionally, they advocated for criminal liability for individuals who "promote" LGBTQ+ issues in Belarus.

According to the petition's authors, so-called "LGBTQ+ propaganda" encompassed a broad range of activities, including the display of a rainbow flag on the British Embassy building, queer culture festivals, gender equality seminars, and even a case where a children's theater performance took place in the same venue as a speech by an openly gay person⁷.

At the time, this appeal generated significant public resonance; however, no legal changes followed immediately.

 

¹ Homophobia or homophobic behavior is defined as an irrational fear, hatred, or aversion toward LGBTQ+ individuals (people who do not conform to traditional societal norms regarding gender or sexuality). Source: United Nations Free & Equal (accessed: 01/05/2023).

² In 2020, presidential elections took place in the Republic of Belarus, which were widely regarded as fraudulent by the ruling regime. In response, mass protests erupted against electoral fraud, which were brutally suppressed with torture, violence, and special means. Several European countries did not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president. Source: Meduza (accessed: 01/05/2023).

³ In 2012, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, an openly gay politician, visited Minsk for diplomatic negotiations. Shortly afterward, in February 2012, he accused Lukashenko of dictatorship. In response, at a state sporting event later that year, Lukashenko publicly remarked about Westerwelle: "As for the other one—either pink or blue—who was shouting about dictatorship, I thought: better to be a dictator than gay, of course." Source: Zaborona (accessed: 01/05/2023).

⁴ According to a witness at the trial, the attacker shouted, "Faggots gathered here," as Mikhail Pishchevsky approached. Pishchevsky, responding, asked, "Who are the faggots here?" A confrontation ensued, during which Dmitry Lukashevich struck Pishchevsky, causing him to fall onto the asphalt. At the trial, Lukashevich claimed he "felt threatened." Medical reports confirmed Pishchevsky suffered a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage. Mikhail spent nearly a year and a half in the hospital—immobile, rarely conscious, and dependent on a feeding catheter. His relatives stayed with him for up to 18 hours a day. Source: Current Time (accessed: 01/05/2023).

⁵ Court rulings and social media reactions regarding the attack on Pishchevsky: Kyky.org (accessed: 01/05/2023).

⁶ The August 2019 attack in Minsk began when the unidentified assailant asked, "Are you a faggot too?" According to filmmaker Nikolai Kuprich, he responded, "Alright, let’s say I am—so what?" He was immediately struck in the temple, losing consciousness. While unconscious, two more individuals from his group were beaten. Kuprich later stated that he is heterosexual but did not want to distance himself from his friends based on "normalcy." Source: Reform.by (accessed: 01/05/2023).

⁷ The authors of the 2020 petition stated, "Adopting such a law, amending the Criminal Code, and implementing a cross-agency national program for the preservation of traditional values are essential for the future of our country and for the existence of Belarusians as a distinct and sovereign nation." Source: Euroradio (accessed: 01/05/2023).

"Apologies" for sexual orientation and/or gender identity

Following the 2020 presidential elections, widespread repression intensified, including targeted actions against LGBTQ+ individuals. The Belarusian state began using LGBTQ+ people for propaganda purposes.

For example, in so-called “confession videos,” filmed under duress and following torture, detainees were forced to speak about their sexual orientation. One such case involved detainee Vitaly Rubich, who was coerced into stating on camera that "since 2016, I have been a supporter of non-traditional sexual orientations" and that "two to three times a year, I engage in sex with a man." At the end of the video, he was forced to add: "I understand that this is immoral, and I promise to change." Belarusian human rights organizations believe that security forces use the forced outing of detainees as an additional repressive tool, encouraging other prisoners to exert further pressure on them¹.

In 2021, Artem Boyarsky was arrested. During interrogation, he informed his lawyer that he had been beaten with batons on his back and buttocks to force him to confess to being the administrator of the Telegram channel and chat "Maya Krajina Belarus," which was designated as extremist. He was also forced to confess that he belonged to the LGBTQ+ community².

Similarly, in 2022, Igor Korolik was unlawfully detained for supporting Ukraine. In a 17-second "confession" video, he was coerced into insulting himself and "admitting" to being homosexual in prison slang. The video featured large red subtitles stating: **"GUBOP will not tolerate faggot-fascist scum on our land…"**³.

¹ Zaborona (accessed: 01/05/2023)
² Zerkalo (accessed: 01/05/2023)
³ Zerkalo (accessed: 01/05/2023)

State agenda regarding LGBTQ+ people after the 2020 events

In 2021, Belarus ranked 61st out of 150 countries in a global index measuring the danger faced by LGBTQ+ individuals¹.

By 2021, nearly all independent civil society organizations in Belarus—including those advocating for LGBTQ+ rights—were forcibly dissolved by the regime. As a result, LGBTQ+ people in Belarus were left without any mechanisms for protection against homophobia, whether in public spaces or from the state itself. There is no anti-discrimination legislation in Belarus, nor does any law explicitly address discrimination based on sexual orientation. On the contrary, legal provisions now explicitly reinforce the principle of "preserving traditional family values" in domestic violence regulations².

All of the above demonstrates that the Republic of Belarus violates international law by failing to uphold its commitments under treaties to which it is a party. The Belarusian state does not guarantee LGBTQ+ individuals:

• Protection from violence (see Sections 2 and 3),

• Protection from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in detention settings (see Section 9),

• Protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity—the most fundamental right in this context.

Since 2022, Belarusian state-controlled media have increasingly aligned their stance on LGBTQ+ issues with that of the Russian government³.

For example, in 2022, pro-government propagandist Olga Bondareva from Hrodna filed a complaint about a billboard advertisement featuring a model she described as a "transgender woman", claiming that the image constituted "LGBTQ+ propaganda." Within a day of her complaint to the "relevant authorities," the billboard was removed and replaced with a public service announcement⁴.

On December 29, 2022, the Chair of the Council of the Republic, Natalya Kochanova, announced the possible introduction of a law banning LGBTQ+ propaganda in Belarus⁵. In 2023, Lukashenko himself reaffirmed this stance⁶.

Thus, state policy in Belarus actively cultivates and reinforces homophobic attitudes, leaving hate crimes unpunished. In a country where over 800 non-governmental organizations have been liquidated⁷ and where the rule of law has collapsed, any law violating human rights can potentially be passed.

Furthermore, hatred based on sexual orientation or gender identity has become a tool of repression. In cases of illegal detentions, the regime systematically uses LGBTQ+ identity as a pretext for coercion, threats, and torture at every stage of detention and imprisonment.

¹ Belarus ranked 61st among the most dangerous countries for LGBTQ+ people: Euroradio, Rainbow Europe (accessed: 01/05/2023).
² Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Fundamentals of Crime Prevention Activities" (as amended on 06/01/2022, No. 151-Z).
³ State-controlled media in Belarus adopting Russian anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric: SB Belarus Today, Mlyn.by, Minskaya Pravda, Belta Telegram, Belta Telegram (accessed: 27/04/2023).
⁴ Propagandist’s complaint about "LGBTQ+ propaganda" in advertising and state response: Zerkalo (accessed: 01/05/2023).
⁵ Natalya Kochanova’s statement on a potential LGBTQ+ propaganda ban: Zerkalo (accessed: 01/05/2023).
⁶ Lukashenko's confirmation of the anti-LGBTQ+ policy direction in 2023: Zerkalo (accessed: 01/05/2023).
⁷ Liquidation of over 800 NGOs in Belarus: Reform.by (accessed: 01/05/2023).

Torture in detention, holding, and correctional facilities against lgbtq+ individuals and those perceived as LGBTQ+ by law enforcement

Humiliation of individuals through LGBTQ+ degradation

According to testimonies from unlawfully detained individuals, communication from law enforcement officers was aggressive and offensive.

“Profanity was in every other word, in every other sentence. It was constant.”

Many detainees were subjected to slurs such as “chickens,” “faggots,” and “queers”—terms used to degrade LGBTQ+ people, equating detainees with a vulnerable group and further dehumanizing them. This led to increased fear and a heightened sense of insecurity among LGBTQ+ individuals in custody.

“I was subscribed to a Telegram chat of a local gay activist. When they found it, they went, ‘Oh! So they’re faggots! They fuck in the ass!’ And everyone started laughing, saying things like ‘Ha-ha-ha! These guys are faggots, fucking each other in the ass.’”

“One officer had a baton. While searching my belongings, he said: ‘Look at this submissive chicken. What the hell are you doing?’”

“One OMON officer said: ‘Damn, these faggots and lesbians will be walking around the city. Is that what you want?’ I told him, ‘We’ve already been walking around the city for a long time. You’re a little late.’”

The use of insults, humiliation, and so-called "jokes" about LGBTQ+ individuals is a form of hate speech that fosters violence and legitimizes it.

Hair color and length as a pretext for violence and torture

Verbal abuse, often disguised as “jokes,” was also directed at individuals with brightly colored hair (red, purple, blue, etc.) or a particular hair length.

“Then he started making jokes about my hair—I had pink on top and green underneath. He joked that my hair looked like a rainbow flag. At that moment, I tensed up because this officer didn’t seem particularly trustworthy. He said, ‘Well, I don’t mind, of course.’ But something told me that if he did mind, we would be having a very different conversation…”

“They laughed at my hairstyle and threw insults like, ‘Ah, a chicken! What’s this?’”

“At that time, I had something like a mohawk, and they kept pointing it out, calling me a chicken, a fag.”

Men with long hair were particularly targeted, with officers threatening to cut their hair—or, in some cases, actually doing so.

“One of the officers said my hair was too long and told another officer to bring scissors. They were saying unpleasant things. In the end, no one brought the scissors, but they kept mocking me. I know cases where they actually cut people’s hair just to humiliate them. In my case, it was just words, but I don’t know how far they would have gone.”

“They threatened me: ‘Look at that hair—let’s cut it off. Bring a knife!’”

Beyond insults and humiliation, law enforcement used threats that targeted both the detainees and the entire LGBTQ+ community.

“Suddenly, the officer we had already encountered—the chief of public order security—burst into the room and shouted: ‘Oh, so you’re a faggot, huh?’ Then he added that people like me should be killed. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it was something like that. And then he quickly left.”

“They didn’t know where to put me because I was a trans person. One of them said, ‘Let’s just take them outside and execute them.’ They kept repeating it multiple times: ‘We won’t keep scum like this here. Take them outside and execute them. Take them outside and execute them.’”

Violence based on appearance is a consequence of the patriarchal structure of the state and society, the lack of alternative narratives, and, above all, the dictatorial nature of the regime. In Belarus, patriarchal values are especially evident in situations of torture and violence. Having a “non-traditional” appearance often serves as justification for brutality—and, in the current state of legal collapse, it provides perpetrators with impunity.

In many cases, violence fueled by non-conforming appearances is rooted in homophobia. For instance, law enforcement officers may assume that a woman with short hair is a lesbian, or that a man with long hair is gay—regardless of the individual’s actual identity. Transgender and non-binary people are often seen as something "unknown" and "ridiculous" by the authorities, which further escalates both psychological and physical violence against them.

Clothing and personal belongings as justification for further torture

Law enforcement officers reacted aggressively to clothing colors they deemed “inappropriate” for a person’s assigned gender.

“During a search, they found my red socks. One officer said, ‘You’re a faggot because you have red socks. You need to be broken.’ He then said they would put me in a cell with other ‘broken’ people, where they would ‘break’ me too, just because of my red socks.”

“I had an LGBTQ+ tote bag in my room. That was enough for them to start hurling slurs at me. They also found lube, and they went: ‘Oh, he fucks in the ass!’”

At one public event, where a diverse group of people was present, a young man with bright makeup was deliberately humiliated by officers who refused to provide him with appropriate footwear.

“There was a guy at the event, and when he asked for shoes—he had bright makeup, and there were LGBTQ+ people present—they told him they would only bring him women’s shoes. And that’s what they did. They refused to give him anything else.”

This shows how makeup is strictly associated with femininity in Belarusian society. If someone perceived as masculine wears makeup, dyes their hair, or paints their nails, they are immediately equated with the LGBTQ+ community—a dangerous label in the detention system, where it becomes grounds for further humiliation, mistreatment, and torture.

LGBTQ+ detainees in prisons and detention facilities face significantly higher risks than cisgender, heterosexual individuals or those who conform to conventional gender norms.

“One of my cellmates had his diary confiscated. He was really worried because when he was detained, he had painted nails—he had made a bet with a female friend. He was afraid that if they had arrested him with painted nails, things would have been much worse. The guards read his diary, and during the next inspection, they kept asking who it belonged to and whether he was gay, because he had written about the nail polish. Of course, all of this was accompanied by slurs and profanity.”

1. A term from prison slang referring to a person occupying the lowest rank in the prison hierarchy.

Personal belongings as a pretext for identifying individuals as LGBTQ+

Possession of certain personal items was also used as a basis for assuming that detainees were LGBTQ+. If individuals presented a masculine appearance but carried "feminine" belongings, they were "suspected of homosexuality," which significantly increased their risk of violence in detention facilities.

“During the inventory check, they were rummaging through my backpack. I had a small slanted pocket at the front, so I said, ‘Be careful, I have sewing threads in there.’ The woman conducting the check looked at me and said, ‘Are you gay?’”

“[Regarding a transgender person] They searched through everything and found sanitary pads. Then they asked, ‘Why do you need these?’—first with curiosity, then with laughter.”

Forced coming out and outing

The treatment of unlawfully detained individuals worsened significantly when they were forced to come out—for example, transgender people—or when personal devices were searched, revealing private messages, photos, or information about sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. The experience of a transgender person from detention through release illustrates the extreme transphobia within the system:

“They knew one of the guys was HIV-positive. They said he should be burned along with his house and made threats... Another guy’s HIV status was revealed. He was there with his boyfriend, and they even opened a criminal case against him, claiming he was deliberately infecting his partner. That’s a criminal charge. They took them for an ‘investigative experiment.’”

“One officer started interrogating me: ‘So, you’re one of them? Promoting sodomy and perversions?’ He kept asking invasive questions—whether I was ‘active or passive.’ Then he ran through the building announcing to everyone, ‘We caught a gay guy!’ He came back and said, ‘People like you get free education from the state.’ It was terrifying. I felt awful—like I was going to vomit. This lasted over an hour, maybe more.”

Transphobia in detention facilities

Once law enforcement officers discovered a detainee's gender identity, they were subjected to "special treatment," which included humiliating questions, insults, threats, and, at times, physical violence.

“They saw my documents with a masculine name and went, ‘Wait, what? You’re a guy?’ ‘No way, I don’t believe it! You’re a guy?’ They kept looking at me closely, questioning, ‘Are you really a guy? Did you have surgery yet?’ Then another officer chimed in, ‘Don't get confused—this one's a guy. Put him with the men.’ They kept making comments: ‘I can’t believe this. Look at what we’ve arrested! Look at this—this is supposed to be a man?!’ Then they said, ‘Throw him in with the guys. Let’s see what happens, let’s see how he’ll manage.’ ‘Put him in with the men, they’ll teach him how to behave properly. We’ll see if he still wants to be a man after that.’ ‘Let’s throw you in a cell with real convicts. Let’s see if they fuck you—then we’ll find out if you’re a guy or a girl.’”

“I told them, ‘I’m a trans man, I have breasts.’ They cursed at me: ‘Fuck off! You called yourself a guy, then stop whining. If you’re such a guy, strip down to your underwear. We don’t give a fuck.’ They continued discussing it, making sure everyone got a look—whoever hadn’t seen yet had to come and see that I had breasts.”

Threats of sexualized rape

When law enforcement officers assumed someone was LGBTQ+, threats of sexual violence were immediately used as an intimidation tactic. For instance, having brightly colored hair was often enough for officers to label a person as LGBTQ+ and escalate abuse.

“You little faggot, we’re going to fuck you in the ass right now.”

([After noticing my long blue hair) ‘That’s it, we’re shoving batons up your ass now, you’re about to get raped.’ Then they called another officer over. Two of them stood over me, hurling insults and threatening rape. One of them said, ‘We need to call Tolik—he’s our proctologist-in-chief around here.’”

“I was sitting in a chair when one of them came up to me, put his hand on my neck, and started stroking my face. He said, ‘You’re such a pretty boy. Guys like you are really popular here.’ Then he continued, ‘I’m going to take you to another room. We’ll rape you—five of us. Then I’ll call your wife to come pick you up, and we’ll rape her in front of you. Then we’ll see what you have to say. Let’s see if you deny anything after that. Let’s see how you handle it.’”

Linking LGBTQ+ individuals to drug use

Law enforcement officers frequently associated LGBTQ+ individuals with drug use. This assumption was based on a primitive and prejudiced belief that if someone belonged to one “marginalized group,” they must belong to others as well. For example, officers equated being HIV-positive with being gay, and being gay with drug use.

“In the transport van, they immediately assumed I was a ‘chicken’ [a submissive prisoner] and a faggot. For some reason, one of them started questioning me about drugs: ‘So, what’s your stance on that? Do you use?’”

Physical violence against individuals for being LGBTQ+

Once officers discovered a detainee’s LGBTQ+ identity—or made assumptions based on stereotypes—they often resorted to physical violence, sometimes alongside threats of sexual violence.

“Then they brought in a girl. It turned out she was transgender—I’m not sure of the right term. They started mocking her, saying, ‘Oh, so he’s a faggot.’ These were officers from the detention center. He didn’t know what to do. He asked someone else for guidance—then we heard someone say, ‘Yeah, he’s a faggot too. Treat him like a man.’ They brutally forced him into a stress position and struck him with a baton.”

“One of the masked officers was an absolute monster. He thought I was a man. He ran up to me, grabbed my arms, and shoved me against the opposite wall. He kicked me hard. My hands hurt, but the kick was especially humiliating. Then he started yelling at me, asking why I was standing there—I was supposed to be with the men. I stayed silent. The women around me started shouting, ‘She’s a woman!’ He turned around and told me to take off my mask. When I did, he said he was in shock.”

“At that moment, they all started hitting me. Some older officer—he must have been 40+—got into the transport van and said, ‘Alright, have fun, guys! You can do whatever you want today.’ After that, they tried to rape me: ‘Let’s shove a baton up his ass!’ My nails were painted black. One of the riot officers asked another, ‘Fuck, is this normal? He’s obviously a faggot, right?’”

“The second time, he really got me—I didn’t even see it coming. He grabbed me and slammed my head into a car. Then he punched me in the stomach, kicked my legs—not with a baton, but with his boots. When they saw my T-shirt, they lost it. They thought the crosses on it looked like sperm swimming upward, so they said, ‘That means he’s gay.’ Then they said, ‘No one’s around here, so we’ll make you gay. We’ve got batons, but we don’t even need them—we can do it without them.’ Then they added, ‘We’ll shove it down your throat too.’”

Testimonies of physical violence for being LGBTQ+, including assumptions based on appearance

“One girl said she was taken in with a baton—she had grabbed it from a riot officer, and they arrested her with it. While transporting her in the police van, one of the officers pulled out a jar of Vaseline and said, ‘Do you know what this is? We’re going to rape you right here, take you to the woods, and do it as a group.’ She responded, ‘I’m a lesbian.’ The officer then said, ‘Ugh, we don’t rape those.’ There were many similar threats—things like ‘We’ll pass you around.’ They also beat her legs, and she ended up with ligament injuries.”

“One guy was suspected of being gay, and they beat him severely, calling him a ‘faggot.’ At some point, he stopped responding, and they said, ‘That’s a problem.’ They took him somewhere—either carried him away or led him off—and after that, he was no longer heard from.”

“A guy was in our police van, and they found photos of him kissing his boyfriend. They started calling him a pervert. I didn’t see what happened because I was forced to stand facing the wall. But the van was shaking from the force of the beating he was receiving. I don’t know exactly what they did to him, but I saw him afterward—badly beaten—and they kept him shackled the entire time. They never let him go.”

Many survivors confirmed that LGBTQ+ individuals, or those perceived as non-normative, were subjected to heightened violence.

Sexualized violence

Sexualized violence against LGBTQ+ individuals often occurred alongside verbal and physical homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and other forms of bias. In some cases, LGBTQ+ people were explicitly targeted because of their identity². Survivors who received threats of sexualized violence feared real assault—because such assaults had already occurred.

One survivor described an escalating pattern of psychological, physical, and ultimately sexualized violence after law enforcement confirmed their sexual orientation:

“First, they figured out my orientation. Then came the psychological abuse. After that, they started physically assaulting me. And then came the sexual violence.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has also acknowledged these abuses:

“Our data confirms cases of rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence against both men and women in detention. Medical records examined by the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) show evidence of trauma to male genitalia. Detainees were also subjected to psychological pressure, including threats of rape.”³

Survivors of sexualized violence are at high risk of developing severe psychological and physical health conditions, as this is among the most extreme forms of abuse.

2 https://pcar.org/about-sexual-violence/lgbtq (accessed: 01/05/2023).

3 https://news.un.org/ru/story/2022/03/1420122 (accessed: 01/05/2023).

 

Conclusions

LGBTQ+ people often experience fear and discrimination that differ from the general population:

 

1. The danger of being "outed" (fear of forced disclosure), the risk of being coerced into revealing their identity when reporting sexualized violence (fear of going to the police, speaking publicly about sexualized violence).

 

1. The risk of receiving transphobic, homophobic, and biphobic responses from social services (psychologists, psychiatrists, gynecologists, urologists, etc.), victim support services, law enforcement, legal and medical professionals, and other systems.

 

1. The "daily expectation" of violence due to their sexuality or gender identity, which will go unpunished or be classified as "hooliganism" (receiving a disproportionate penalty).

 

Thus, LGBTQ+ people living (or having lived) in Belarus face daily discrimination. Hate speech is frequently used against them, and crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals are punished as "hooliganism," which is perceived by society as "justified" and/or "necessary," while violence by law enforcement is encouraged by the state. All of this makes life in the country impossible. Stress levels have increased, especially after the events of August 2020. People have been subjected to violence for the color and length of their hair and nails. They have been humiliated, insulted, and physically assaulted for their clothing, personal messages, and the contents of their bags. Various forms of torture have been used against them because of their identity, which was revealed during unlawful detentions, searches, and forced disclosure of personal information.

 

This attitude is further exacerbated by LGBTQ+-phobic publications in the media and public statements by regime representatives, which contain clear signs of legal violations and crimes but go unpunished—incitement to hatred, threats, insults, and humiliation. Among them are Azarenok¹ (state propaganda show host), Gladkaya² (pro-government propagandist), Shunevich³ (former Minister of Internal Affairs), Dzermant⁴ (pro-government philosopher, publicist, political analyst), Mukavozchik⁵ (publicist, propagandist), Kochanova⁶ (Chair of the Council of the Republic, regime official), GUBOPiK led by Ananenko⁷ (a division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), and others.

 

This strengthens and perpetuates LGBTQ+ phobia both in society and within the state. As a result, in the conditions of legal collapse, there is no proportional and fair punishment for hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, and a sense of impunity prevails, leading to more frequent victimization of LGBTQ+ individuals. The very fact of detention becomes a major source of stress, encompassing the daily fears of outing, large-scale violence, and lack of support, as it is unknown what views the people detained alongside LGBTQ+ individuals hold.

 

Thus, LGBTQ+ people experience the fear of being subjected to torture from both the state and society.

 

At the same time, it is necessary to respond to LGBTQ+ phobia decisively and directly, opposing violations of LGBTQ+ rights. Even now, we can challenge hate speech in the media and provide public and political space for LGBTQ+ people, as human rights in a democratic society apply to all members of society.

 

1 https://euroradio.fm/ru/raduzhnoe-znamya-sodoma-provlastnaya-propaganda-osedlala-temu-gomofobii (accessed: 01/05/2023).
2 https://by.tgstat.com/channel/@lgbelarussegodnya/19066 (accessed: 01/05/2023).
3 https://kyky.org/news/dyryavye-lgbt-i-nravstvennyy-mvd-chto-nagovoril-igor-shunevich-v-epichnomintervyu-na-tv (accessed: 01/05/2023).
4 https://news.sb.by/video/lgbt-propaganda-navyazana-politikami-evropy-dlya-otvlecheniya-lyudey-otrealnykh-problem-dzermant.html (accessed: 01/05/2023).
5 https://www.sb.by/articles/kak-solntse-otpravilos-vspyat.html (accessed: 01/05/2023).
6 https://www.belta.by/society/view/zakon-o-zaprete-propagandy-lgbt-mozhet-pojavitsja-vbelarusi-542513-2022/ (accessed: 01/05/2023).
7 https://www.dw.com/ru/gospropaganda-i-hejt-kak-rezhim-lukashenko-travit-lgbt/a-60587900 (accessed: 01/05/2023).