5 thoughts on “New LiveJournal Terms of Service”

1. More details here: http://digitaldiscipline.tumblr.com/post/159171049669

2. As a Russian I will make some remarks
   1) Federal Law prohibits homosexual propaganda but not transgender. As I know, only Samara oblast prohibits transgender propaganda on provincial level. Major Russian transgender websites still works and accessible directly (inside national firewall).
   2) Russia is slightly specific country. In the West Trans more seriously connected with LGB and most people thinks that T should have place in LGBT. In my country it’s a very controversial topic. Here we have very serious “political” conflict between those transgenders who want be with LGB and those who actively stands against it. It was so historically. Then when rulling party decides to officially portrait homosexuals as internal enemies and pass propaganda law (which was especially easy because 75-80% of Russians openly admitts that they are homophobes) this “conflict” became more obvious and most of folks stands against LGBT and especially against activists. On national trans resources gay activists were collectively marked as a threat to public order and affiliation between LGB and T was declared a threat for trans community. Federal law was modelled on Saint Petersburg law which outlaws transgender propaganda as well, but in the Federal law transgenders was excluded from it, after which regional model law was repealed.

   In 2015 Russian trans community suffers from another “LGBT wave”.
   Prior that in January Prime Minister signs order by which crossdressers, transsexuals, sadomasochists and paraphillics could be banned from car driving if the doctor think that these condition so strong in person that car driving is dangerous for public or the driver themself. It is especially dangerous for transsexuals, because one should have the diagnosis for surgery or name change. It means that a “doctor” will have evidence that “dangerous” person is transsexual, but will have hard time to prove that pervert is pervert at all and can be dangerous. Of course, these reform was met with outcry and fear of additional reforms.

   In May in the parliament were introduced law proposal which prohibits marriages for transsexuals.
   In the summer transsexuals was suffered from new attack. In Saint Petersburg religious activists attacked one of the most popular gatekeeper in the country and they won, his office was closed under local govenment pressure, which could point out to the people’s will, need for moral defence in the Christian country etc. After such win Petersburg transphobes declares that they will persecute endocrynologists which helps transgenders. In the community starts a little panic.

   In such terrible environment began second wave of LGB condemnation. Why? Because at the same time one MtF transgender whom sympathises LGBT but had male ID make a difference. She publicly marries a women, but do it in dress and make it “two brides marriage” in present of gay and lesbian “activists”. These story was picked up by Russian media and make big scandal in homophobic country.
   Then on transgender websites starts anti-LGBT hysteria. Transgenders has different opinions about these MtF. Some thinks she is Kremlin agent, some that she is simply stupid, but others think that she is provocator from selfish LGBT activists who put transgenders at risk by their stupid struggle for needless human rights. Results was generally anti LGBT.

   Anti marriage proposal was rejected, another gatekeepers still works and Government think nothing about “simply crossdressers”. At the same time I’m continious to reside in the country in which some transwoman may have orientation towads womens, change ID, undergo surgery, find a girlfriend but she will be categorically against gay activism. Because if she will be for, who knows what will be with trans in our sovereign, independent from obscene West country.
   (Sorry for poor English)

   1. Fascinating, thank you! (And your English is much better than my Russian.)

      Obviously I do talk about LGB rights here as well as trans issues, so I am probably still in breach of the legislation. But it is good to know that the situation for trans people in Russia is not as bleak as I had believed.

      1. Generally speaking, propaganda law doesn’t prohibit post information about gay people and even LGBT activists as such. Law prohibits only so called propaganda. Problem is there in loose definition of propaganda and in unpredictable law enforcement. In result we have some LGBT websites blocked and others not. Because law accented on defence of minors from LGBT propaganda, one large website for lesbains decides that one thing can help them and introduce pop up regime in which any person who access website should fill mini form and state her date of birth before she can read anything. At the same time there no warranties that this will be sufficient by judge opinion.

         With peoples and fines the same uncertainity. Sometimes media says something neutral about LGBT or radiostations airing small amount of old songs from 90s or 2000s whith same sex lyrics. At the same time we have persons who was fined even for accurate expressions of their opinion.

         In Russia school teachers and some others can be fired for any “immorality” even not connected to school and in many cities were persecution of LGBT and even heterosexual perverts. In one case women worked in kindergarten was declared immoral simply for the fact that in youth her boyfriend took her naked photo and for now this photo is on the internet.
         In one case provincial gay teacher was expelled from school. Local newspaper publish interview with him and then newspaper was fired and have problems with authorities. In more extreme case authority wanted sentence lesbian teen for the self-defence at her school, but it became a bit scandalous and charges were abolishde.
         In other words, somewhere lies the line which shouldn’t be crossed, but nobody knows where it lies.

         In any case you have few reasons to worry and in the worst scenario your LJ will be deleted and main blog will be blocked in Russia, but because you are foreigner you at least cannot be fined. And because your main address accessible in Russia, Government yet doesn’t think that you crossed the line.
         Moreover, in my country websites ordinarly blocks not instantly, Роскомнадзор firstly sents ultimatum to the site owner and you can quickly delete pages which doesn’t like in our government agency.

         At the same time Russian law is not only about LGBT. Since 2012, when was started website filtration, was introduced many various rules, so problem can came from article wihout any gays. For example you can be blacklisted for information about suicide methods, drugs propaganda both with loose definitions. If one publish announce of unsanctioned Russian meeting, one could be blacklisted by speedy procedure. If one publish or even advertise officialy banned book, music or movie (full list in Russian on MOJ website) one can face problems. And of cource here blocked some political websites.
         If you interested, here can be prohibited sites with pirate content, porno, escort agency, online casinos etc. Parially blocked web proxies and sites of some VPN providers, but here yet not serious technical measures against persons who want browse full internet.

         Russia additionally have rules that, however, very rarely enforced on foreigners. If someones site, blog or even social network page is popular, Roskomnadzor may force them to register in the Blogger register with personal data and filling forms, after which blogger should abide some rules, should publish his name etc. in his blog and Register, which could be a problem for some trans persons. At the same time, government requires that not from all popural bloggers.

         Here also has Register for Information spreading organizators, and it may by agency request be applicable to any social networks, discussion forums, chats and even mail service. They should abide another rules, different from bloggers. Theoretically, many social websites should have servers in Russia, because otherwise they cannot satisfy some legal requirements and could be blocked. In practice there is blocked only LinkedIn, but de jure government can quickly block whole Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (if they didn’t agree abide rules which hardly and costly to abide).

         In Russian jurisdiction problems lies not only with laws but and with officials who really applies strange internet laws to ordinary person.

         1. Thank you once again. This reminds me very much of the way the Catholic Church policed sexuality in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Draconian laws were there if the authorities wanted to dispose of someone, and were occasionally used by zealots, but for the most part things went on as normal.

Comments are closed.