Last week
saw Mongolian first LGBT pride week celebration. Many saw banner
that said “ Prideweek Mongolia-2013” striped with the famous rainbow color of
LGBT movement hanging over the the main entrance of Chinggis Khaan hotel.
Although, all
events of the Pride week was held indoors for security reasons, mere fact that
opening and closing of the Pride week took place in the country’s top five star
hotel, owned by one of the former Prime Ministers of Mongolia was very telling.
According to Mongolian LGBT center (www.lgbt.mn)
“The Pride Week is being organised to promote diversity, non-discrimination and
human rights for all, on the heels of the Parliamentary resolution of 3 July
2013 to improve the human rights situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender/transsexual people in Mongolia. Mongolia does not have a
broad-based anti-discrimination legislation, nor does its Constitution include
non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Many events such as “ Beyond the Blue sky” multimedia
exhibition, support meeting and workshops of family members and friends of LGBT
people and health issues, Queer film festival were organized. The Pride week
was culminated with “Miss Beauty” super drag show.All this show Mongolia has
become most liberal country in the
Central Asia and neighboring China and Russia.
Compared to other countries, say Middle Eastern countries
which bans homosexuality on the basis of hardline Islamic teaching, Mongolia
does not have religious tradition that
bans same-sex love. Both traditional Mongolian shamanism and Lamaism (Tibetan
Buddhism) does not condemn LGBT people or threaten them with harsh punishment
or eternal damnation as main attitude of both is very accepting and something
like “ live and let others live.”
However, under the 70 years of Soviet rule, Mongolians began
to abhore LGBT people.This attitude was instilled in the laws and social values
and ethics. Mongolia criminalized
same-sex sexual relations up until 1986 in its Criminal code, and even the
democratic transition in the early 90s did not help dispel myths, misconceptions
and entrenched negative social attitudes towards sexual minority. Mongolian
mass media and extremist groups still
refer to the sexual minority as “homosexuals, perverts”. They criticize
that gays and lesbians will not
contribute to population growth and breaches traditonal Mongolian values and
therefore,should be shunned.
Registration of first LGBT center was uphill battle, as
veteran LGTB activists recall. The center finally registered in late 2009, took
a leadership role on conducting domestic and international advocacy aimed at
improving the social and legal situation of LGBT people in Mongolia.
During the Pride week, at the invitation of a close friend,
I went to the first ever Queer film festival of Mongolia. The first movie was
about Indonesian LGBT people known as Waria
and second movie was about Mongolian gay love story.
I found the movies very interesting. I was always aware of
existence of LGBT community in Mongolia since 2000 when I first met my friend
who is a trans.It was he who first told me
about sexual orientation and discrimination issues LGTB people faces in
Mongolia. The “Pride” week events was eye-opener for me to see and meet LGBT
people of Mongolia. I find them very educated and liberal people. Considering
myself a liberal person who is willing to stand for the downtrodden and
underdog of Mongolian society, I think the first Pride week of Mongolia was one
big step to equality and freedom in Mongolia.
Still much needs to be done to change mentality
of mainstream society towards the LGBT people. Although the law says “ no
discrimination”, like all other laws in Mongolia, its implementation is poor
and people’s understanding is very low.
By Shagai, MonInfo news service
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