LGBTQ+ People Are Being Detained in Belarus: Funds Are Needed For Urgent Evacuation

Repression against the LGBTQ+ community continues. The community is in dire need of international support and attention.

What's happening?

According to human rights activists, queer individuals from different cities and backgrounds, including trans people, have caught the attention of Belarusian law enforcement.

Detainees are subjected to physical and psychological abuse based on their identities. Reports mention blackmail and threats of rape. 

Homes of those targeted are being searched, with phones, computers, and items bearing queer symbols being confiscated. Each case develops differently: some are released after questioning, others receive fines or administrative detention, and in some cases, criminal charges are filed.

Formally, people are accused of "minor hooliganism" and subscription to platforms labeled as extremist—this list includes all major independent media outlets covering events in Belarus. Criminal charges have been filed for "producing or distributing pornographic materials," which in Belarus could include something as simple as a nude selfie sent to a partner via messenger.

For example, take Yuliya's story, who left Belarus earlier: "In the winter of 2023, I began to receive threats, and at the end of April I was grabbed by police officers near my house, beaten (they were in a white van… they drove up, got out, did not identify themselves in any way, I began to fight back, for which I was initially beaten), threatened, insulted, shredded my phone. After the April attack, I finally lost my sense of security, completely shut down, I was afraid to leave the house, I lived the time until I got my visa as in a terrible dream, fear and tension as if killing me from the inside."

How can you help?

The LGBTQ+ community is coming together to help those in Belarus from abroad. Right now, funds are needed for evacuation, legal fees, and psychological support for those who are still in the country and those forced to flee.

Human rights activists are concerned that the wave of repression against LGBTQ+ people may intensify due to the upcoming presidential elections and the continued policy of suppressing LGBTQ+ rights. This year, Belarusian authorities equated "demonstration of non-traditional relationships" with pornography, and the General Prosecutor’s Office prepared a draft law against the "propaganda of non-traditional family relationships." The TG House initiative calls everyone to sign a petition against the repression of the LGBTQ+ community.

Read more: Wave Of Arrests Targets LGBT Community In Belarus (RFE/RL's Belarus Service)