Long Live, Queer Belarus! brings together the history and contemporaneity of queer communities in independent Belarus. 

The opening  lecture by Bahdan Khmialnitski is based on a case study of Minsk, the capital of Belarus, introducing the stories, language, places and culture associated with its LGBTQ+ inhabitants. It focuses on the unique practices and vocabulary that the local queer people have developed despite and contrary to the current authoritarian regime. 

It will be followed by a screening of the 2021 documentary We Have Not Lived In Vain (dir. by Nick Antipov, Bart Staszewski) which bridges queer legacy and the country’s turbulent present. The role and challenges of LGBTQ+ people throughout the Belarusian protests of 2020 are revealed through the stories of three participants. The screening will be followed by a discussion and a Q&A session with one of the directors.

The event is part of our current exhibition Desire International (until 12 Feb) and introduces decolonising voices and anti-authoritarian perspectives of Belarusian queer communities.

Long Live, Queer Belarus! will be presented by Bahdan Khmialnitski, an independent culture researcher, performer and queer activist from Minsk, currently based in London. He is a Chevening scholar and graduate of Birkbeck, University of London in MA Arts Policy and Management. Bahdan is the co-organiser of DOTYK Queer Festival and co-creator of Minsk Queer Walk.

Nick Antipov (BY) LGBT+ defender and Obama Leader he/him/his
Nick is the Co-Founder of MAKEOUT, an antidiscrimination project empowering the LGBTQ community in Belarus and one of the largest online platforms for LGBTQ issues in the region. Among his many projects, Nick and the MAKEOUT team created a leadership programme for young LGBTQ leaders that has fostered a new generation of activists in cities across Belarus. Nick is passionate about empowering communities that face discrimination and believes in their creative potential to change the world. After the rigged presidential elections in Belarus, 2020, he volunteered for human rights defenders and collected stories of torture and violence against peaceful demonstrators.

Photo: MAKEOUT