CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Ekaterina Donskova |
|---|---|
| Title | The development and innovation of queer activism under the influence of totalitarian state systems (case of Belarus from 2017 to 2023) |
| Summary | Shaped by external forces and empires that sought to make it into an eternal quasi-colony, Belarus is actively molded by various forms of political and social resistance. In the last thirty-five years, the Belarusian queer community became a particularly notable example of such defiance. This paper explores the entrenched authoritarianism of the ruling regime and the constant movements of civil society advocating for change. By discussing queer activism and its 2020 Revolution as a response to police homophobia and the perpetual erasure of national identities by colonial powers, I aim to showcase how activists mobilize and organize, standing in opposition against both quasi-coloniality and homophobia. Additionally, I explore how queer identity and national identity, originally thought to be distinct and mutually exclusive, are interlaced with each other, creating what I call a Q-unit identity that is unique to the Belarusian context. In this work, I identify three waves of queer activism throughout the modern history of the Republic of Belarus, as well as their features and characteristics. For this purpose, 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Belarusian queer activists regarding their emotions and experiences in the process of increasing government repression. With this research, I hope to archive the experience and emotions of Belarusian queer people, as well as help activists in other authoritarian countries. Ultimately, this work is aimed at promoting the development of a tolerant and inclusive society in Belarus, where everyone has the right to free expression and equal opportunities. |
| Supervisor | Krizsan, Andrea |
| Department | Gender Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/donskova_ekaterina.pdf |
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