Send Kelli Anne Busey to the Moscow Pride 2012

Send Kelli Anne Busey to the Moscow Pride 2012

I am author activist Kelli Anne Busey. I am fundraising for a trip to participate in the Moscow Pride Parade 2012 in support for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community.

What is significant about the Moscow Pride Parade?

Since 2006 the Moscow government has ignored the Russian Constitution and has outlawed Pride Parades beating and arresting the participants. This year the participants were once again mistreated but because of our efforts to publicize the event, and the attendance of international gay advocates, the actions of the government received international attention.

This year was expecially significant for transgender people because one of our own came to the forefront as a leader.

Equally distressing are the murders of the reporters of Novaya Gazeta, the only remaining free press in Russia. One of their contributors Elena Kostyuchenko attended the 2011 Pride on the day she came out as a lesbian. She received special attention from the police being the only one hospitalized this year with a concussion.

What do I hope to accomplish by attending the Moscow Pride Parade?

I have been writing about the Moscow Pride since 2008. My previous year’s efforts were rewarded as I friended and interviewed their transgender leader, Anna Komarova. He invited me to next year’s Pride Parade to become the first transsexual author activist from another country to attend.

What do you have to gain by contributing to this effort?

Russia lags behind the world in acceptance of LGBT people but gradually with time their struggle has found its way to people’s consciousness both inside and outside of their borders. The amount the LGBT people of Russia benefit by international involvement is directly proportional with our involvement. And conversely the same holds true. We grow by leaps and bounds as a community when we stand in solidarity with each other regardless of international borders.

The transgender community sadly lags behind gay and lesbian advances in equality. We will receive an injection of worldwide pride as I step up to pay it forward in Moscow.

How much overall will this cost?

I need to raise $1500.



Do I get a refund if money for the airline ticket is not raised soon enough or I don’t travel?

Yes. You will be refunded in full in the event I do not go to Moscow in May 2012.
What guarantee do I have my donation will be used or refunded as promised?

I stake my reputation as a blogger, founder of the Dallas Transgender Advocates and activist on it.

You have my word on it.

Kelli Anne Busey

St. PetersBurg Pride Parade People Beaten Today, Arrested and Tweeting from inside a Jail Cell

Мент говорит: "сейчас посадим к черномазым с блохами"~ Nikolai Alexeyev.

Nikolai is live now at 6/25 9:00am CT live Tweeting from inside a St Petersburg jail cell as he and 14 others are being charged by the police for having this years Pride.
Nikolai Alekseev posted to Slavic Gay Pride, St.Petersburg. 2011 June 25 "14 Gay Rights Activists including Nikolai Alekseev, Yury Gavrikov, Anna Komarova, Anton Sutyagin arrested today while staging a Gay Pride March in St. Petersburg (Russia). The event was banned by the city hall."
Photos from the 3r Slavic Gay Pride which take place in St. Petersburg on June 25, 2011. 14 Participants were arrested by the police. As the photos showed, one participant was attacked and beaten by a homophobe. In all, 20 people took part to the Pride which was banned by the city hall. Last year, a similar attempt in St. Petersburg was also banned. This year activists gathered near the statue to Peter the Great as the pictures show, but also used a boat which passed in front of the statue on the river neva and another group attempted to protest in front the Constitutional Courts which is located opposite to the statue.
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