Hello from Russia, native country of Viktor Nikiforov đ
Recently, after the 8th episode Iâve seen a lot of speculation about politics in Russia towards LGBTQA+ representation, so I want to make a comment on it.
Yes, the representation is poor and we have this damn law. But in contrary to the popular opinion that anyone suffers here, itâs not entirely true. Let me explain.
Media and sport are different universes, there are different laws in them. In fact, there a lot of gay people in the media in Russia, but nobody talks about it. Because personal life is something intimate in general. Itâs in our character: we are open for guests and anyone whoâs interested in our culture, but donât ask personal stuff – weâre pretty closed. It might become personal when itâs in your family – and then it depends on how well these people are educated. We have beautiful ballet dancers, talented singers and famous figure skaters.
This particular law is some vague ministrations just to cover some other nasty stuff, to change the subject from really important things like loss of money in building the arena for Football World Cup and shortage of budget for education.
People in big cities are mostly chill, they donât really care who you love or who you sleep with. But yes, it can be inappropriate for children. When I say âitâ, I mean any kissing pair. I hate couples in the subway. They usually donât look where they stand and may be blocking the damn door. Also for any child kissing pair looks nasty.
But nobody tells you how to educate your child. Sure, they can recommend, they can close some options and tell long speeches, but you are the one who decides whatâs better for you. Iâm an ace. I donât need their recognition. Nobody will make me marry someone.
Back to publicity: until you tell to the country on a gov.channel that you are gay, you will be fine. Yes, public coming out is under restriction. But the reason is not plain hate for gays – itâs religion thing. Orthodox church is slightly different than Catholic, for example. And Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is a government organization.
They rule like they please, they tell people shit and promise salvation. Thatâs why we kind of have a problem, when it comes to religion. Thatâs why we have this law – itâs useful for politics. Nothing more, nothing less. But guys, we live here, we try to look for each other no matter what.
Yuuri is a sportsman, heâs a competitor. He feels in Russia as an alien because he doesnât know anyone here. I donât think even Victor ever thought about his representation or what fans could think of him: he goes with the flow, heâs willing to do whatever he wants. But yes, it can guarantee him problems. But not because his country, but because his colleagues.
There was a story about Johnny Weir, remember? I love him, heâs just so amazing and charismatic. But his career was doomed after he came out. They will let you skate, but they wonât let you win. Itâs how sports work, itâs prejudged. But people who watch it â they arenât. They came to cheer their favorite teams and sportsmen. They (usually) donât care about anything else. And this is what important.
Because love wins. Always.
From Russia with love, Nadine.
Thanks for an important note about Russian character feature and our behavior. Personal life here will be talked over mostly among very close people. Besides the lack of official support to public coming out in media, the way such act will grab massive attention to your personal life may seem out of Russian character.Â
I mean, there is even the âRussian smileâ thing. In western culture a smile presents an overall neutral attitude toward you. Foreigners always notice how unsmiling Russians are and translate it as a mark of gloominess or spitefulness⌠Not at all. In fact, Russians simply donât smile to people they donât know. A Russian smile is always personal. When a Russian smiles to you, he or she wants to say that he or she likes you sincerely.  A smile directed at a stranger may elicit the reaction, âDo we know each other?â.
It doesnât mean we donât want to make friends. Russians just give a special meaning to the smile as an act that expresses your true emotions. Or such a neutral thing as a âsmall talkâ – it is unaccustomed here: if a person asks an ordinary Russian âHow are you?â it means to the Russian that the person really cares, so he can tell how all his day was going, what are his plans and so on⌠Because if you donât care, why would you ask? If you donât know me, why would you smile?  Sincerity and openness are hallmarks of Russian culture, the flip side of its first-look coldness, if you get to know it closer.What I try to explain is: with such differentiation between people you are close with and those with whom youâre not, usually the private life here remains private naturally – whatever your orientation is.Â
Unfortunately, there are untoward actions like those shady government restrictions, but Iâm asking you to understand: itâs not because Russians are hateful towards LGBTQA+, although I competely agree that we have to work far more on representation of it and the government must change its politics.
Of course there are some hateful bastards in the nation, and itâs pitiful, but is there any country in the world which lacks them completely?
Tag: politics
Even SLC international airport had a protest tonight… I donât think anyone was detained, and only 100 people showed up, but Iâm pretty sure it was more for solidarity than anything. The LDS church released the following statement:
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned about the temporal and spiritual welfare of all of God’s children across the earth, with special concern for those who are fleeing physical violence, war and religious persecution. The Church urges all people and governments to cooperate fully in seeking the best solutions to meet human needs and relieve suffering.”
Aaron and I were talking about it and, like he said… how bad do you have to screw up for the extremely conservative and republican Utah to get up in arms? People are unsettled over whatâs happened… I have never seen so much divergence of opinion coming out of the woodwork in all my years living here. Itâs getting really, really interesting.
I also personally know several people who go to protests and actively campaign for the rights of others and I am so proud of them. Iâm slowly learning to get braver…
You always seem to have all the answers. What do we do to stop Trump? I feel helpless. I know of the elections in November for Senate, Congress, etc. what can we do in the meantime?
I took this question really seriously, so I asked my parents to help me answer this. Here is what my dad said:Â
Here is what my mom said:Â
Here is what I say:Â
First of all, I am sorry for referring to you as âkidâ to my folks. It was just a shorthand I used for them to understand in a simple way that I think you are someone younger than they are. They are professors/teachers, and are often tasked with communicating effectively with young people. (also, sorry if my dad misgendered you? I guess kid = boy in his head)
Next: Yes. To what my parents said. When I feel helpless I often turn to them because they are so blisteringly smart and compassionate, and if I seem strong and like I have all the answers, itâs because I come from an incredibly supportive family. I wanted to share that with you.Â
- Furthermore, staying informed in the time of âalternative factsâ is an act of resistance. Knowing is half the battle. Thereâs an app called Countable that will keep you informed of the latest developments in your local government and issues you care about.Â
- Because our representatives are firmly planted in the last century, online activism doesnât cut through the noise to themâbut phone calls do. Here is a website called 5calls.org that helps you make those calls with a script, and is especially effective if you (like me) have social anxiety.Â
- Here is a great âStop Trumpâ reading list that @batlordart compiled.Â
- Donât focus on a mountainous goal like âstopping Trumpâ and instead expend your energy on things that will make you happier and healthier.
- Thriving is our first act of resistance.
- Donât despair. I could vibrate with the conviction of how fiercely I believe it: we will get through this.
Is your mother a descendant of Nietzsche?
i will let you know
White dudes: I donât know whoâs worse: Hillary or Trump.
LGBTQ people: Trump is.
Black people: Trump is.
Undocumented immigrants: Trump.
Muslims: Itâs Trump.
Women: Trump duh.
White dudes: *shoves head deeper into ass* I just⌠donât⌠knowâŚ
Nope. Iâm a woman, theyâre both awful. Neither deserve to be president. đ
being president isnât a special award you get by being a wonderful person whoâs never done anything wrong. being president is a job two people are trying to be hired for. one of them is the endorsed candidate of literally actual nazis, and the KKK, and vladmir putin, and will gain access to nuclear weapons if appointed president. his running mate is very open about wanting to roll back rights for women to turn of the last century or earlier. he himself has failed at every single business venture heâs managed and has been sued repeatedly for sexual assault. heâs being sued again this month for raping a thirteen year old. Â
the other candidate is a successful politician, whoâs got a proven track record of voting very progressively for the times sheâs been in office, who openly regrets many of her earlier and more racist positions and statements, and who is working to make amends. sheâs lied significantly less than most of her peers. she listens to her constituency way more. sheâs almost exactly as progressive as bernie sanders, and has gotten a lot more done than him too, while being a woman under constant investigation for corruption and wrong-doing, neither of which was ever found. Â
if theyâre both awful, clinton is awful like a stubbed toe and trump is awful like disembowelment. and one of them is going to be president. suck it the fuck up.Â
The amount of lesbians who know that theyâre lesbians from a young age versus the amount of gay men who know that theyâre gay from a young age shows a staggering difference in that most lesbians take way longer to realize that theyâre gay.
Girls are told that dating men is supposed to be hard and essentially unfulfilling. That itâs normal to expend emotional and sexual labor without receiving anything or feeling anything in return. Girls are told that their attraction to men and relationships with men should be difficult and sometimes feel forced because men are so emotionally lacking or otherwise âhypermasculineâ.
Realizing that you donât like men because youâre gay versus just feeling emotionally exhausted or unable/unsure of how to âpleaseâ men is part of the reason why compulsory heterosexuality is so damaging. It forces many girls to continue to date men and to keep trying to feel attraction to them long after theyâve realized that thereâs nothing thereâparticularly blaming themselves for the reasons why relationships with men donât work out instead of thinking itâs an indicator of being gay, which most (though of course not all) gay men are able to recognize as an initial indicator.
Shit
HOSPITALS. ARE. ALREADY. REQUIRED. UNDER. LAW. TO. PROVIDE. LIFE. SAVING. EMERGENCY. CARE. REGARDLESS. OF. ABILITY. TO. PAY. OR. EVEN. CITIZENSHIP.
Stop acting like Americans have no access to emergency healthcare unless we socialize medicine.
IF. YOU. GO. AND. CANâT. PAY. YOUâRE. STILL. THOUSANDS. IN. DEBT. THIS. IS. NOT. ACCESS.
This hospital in my city just threw out a homeless man
The hospital which took me in after I collapsed from the fist sized tumor over my heart, released me after refusing to diagnose it as cancer, which would have forced them to give me some kind of treatment. The doctor at the county hospital which took me in looked at their tests and said, âthis is CLEARLY cancer, why didnât they diagnose it? We canât let you leave.â
Hospitals find ways when they want to, to avoid helping people when they want to.
âOh thatâs illegal, you should sueâ â with what money and how will I get the time and energy when Iâm busy recovering from chemo?â
People who canât afford treatment also canât afford to protect their rights.
Absolutely this: âPeople who canât afford treatment also canât afford to protect their rights.â
âPeople who canât afford treatment also canât afford to protect their rights.â
^^^^Â
Also donât even start on bankruptcy. Did you know that it costs ~$700 just to file the paperwork for bankruptcy? And thatâs if youâre somehow able to do all of the paperwork and itemized records on your own. If you involve a lawyer, which MOST PEOPLE DO unless they literally have nothing (no car, no house, no spouse, nothing of worth in their home, no job), itâs going to be $1,300+ or more… just to file
Which means if you have no money at all, you… uhh… canât afford to do bankruptcy.Â
Also, landlords arenât required to keep you as tenants if you file for bankruptcy, even if youâre not behind on rent.. and good luck getting into another apartment if you have that on your credit.Â
aaaannnd fun fact the biggest, most common debt that people get into that ruins their lives, credits, and so on… is MEDICAL RELATED. Because doctors and hospitals can charge whatever they want so people donât go, knowing that they canât afford it, until they literally have no other option left. And by then, itâs going to put them in debt for years and years and years.Â
Awesome.
It’s March 22nd and snowing sideways.
Clearly, Trump is exercising his demonic powers to try to keep Bernie out of office. Why else would the republicans be able to vote ONLINE while everyone else has to trek to a caucus tonight?
So suspicious…