«OUTCASTS»

«In Swedish there is no a concept «warden». Russian literal translation of a phrase is «looking after prisoners». Among prison staff there are two categories of employees: «looking after» (watching the convicts, workshops teachers) and medical staff.

In Russia same-sex contacts between prisoners are administrative offense: a person can be placed in a preliminary camera, can be deprived of appointments or refusal of parole. And other sanctions can be applied. There is no contraception, because the prison administration doesn't recognize existence of the relations between convicts. So, the number of HIV-positive people among the last mentioned grows.

In Sweden I haven't heard that same-sex relationships are violation of the mode. People in our prisons usually sit not really long, they have the right for appointments, including long visits for several days. We had two certain rooms where they could live and sleep together. Contraceptives are available.

About same-sex relationships. One woman sat in a prison I worked at. She was the out lesbian, but she had matrimonial visits in the room for appointments all the time.

People rights in prison are very limited. Therefore it is important to give everybody equal opportunities, without violating the rule of law. In Russia, as far as I understand, there is the system of inequality of prisoners. And gays are in the lowest caste».

«Homosexual contacts in a colony — administrative offense that causes placement to a punishment cell and even refusal of parole. Legally it is impossible to receive condoms in prison, it is forbidden. The result is the spread of HIV and venereal diseases among prisoners. The silence surrounding leads to the tragic consequences, because there are sorely lacking drugs for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus in penitentiary system.

According to FPS about 60 thousand prisoners are HIV-infected. Many were infected after unprotected sex in prisons. As a prison expert I believe that it is necessary to exclude the punishment for same-sex links from the article of the Executive Penal Code, to provide access of service organizations to colonies, to make HIV statistics in the correctional system opened for researchers and society. These measures will help to stop HIV spreading in colonies and beyond».

«HIV-positive people don't always apply for treatment, because they are afraid of publicity. I had a case: a young girl was contaminated. At once the doctors called her mother. That girl was shocked, her family was shocked. While she was registering in an AIDS centre, she felt constant condemnation from medics. It wasn't so easy. Therapy is expensive, especially foreign medicines. It costs 200-300 thousand rubles a year for a patient. Treatment sometimes doesn't help, then it's necessary to start all over again. The situation in prisons and colonies is much more difficult. It is really terrible. Convicts are infected with HIV in penitentiaries, but they often go free without knowing about their status. So the chain of infected has been proceeding. This system has to be changed. It's necessary to allow contraception to prisoners. Many of infected would have been living, they would begin new life, but instead of it they loose their chance. It is necessary to change the legislation, involve doctors and civil society to the discussion. Otherwise, it is impossible to cope with the problem».

Despite the fact that criminal prosecution for same-sex relationships in Russia was repealed in 1993, the whole complex of repressive norms and the practice concerning people of LGBT remains. First, it is the discrimination enshrined in the legislation. Criminal Code provides different types of punishment for heterosexual and same-sex relationships. If it is a voluntary sex with a minor, a heterosexy man may be exempted from punishment if marries her. Such an option isn't provided by the law for homosexuals and lesbians. A story of a former counsel Oleg in this case is indicative.

One more thing is the law prohibited of so-called «promotion of non-conventional relations», which prevents the spread of information, education, public discussion. It leads to concealment and aggravation of existing problems, supports a household homophobia, causes an increase in hate crimes against LGBT.

In our culture marriage is permitted between heterosexual partners only, so gays and lesbians are deprived of an opportunity to have long appointments in prisons. My girl acquaintance whose beloved has died in prison still can't find out where her grave is. She gets answers to all her inquiries: «Data on the place of burial are reported only to relatives or the spouse». They say: «You are nobody to her». But they have lived for twenty years together... The Penal Enforcement Code establishes a ban on same-sex relationships in prison. The love becomes criminal. A person can be placed into the penalty box, forfeit the right to early release. Prison administration quite often uses these preventive measures selectively — with the purpose of pressure. And they can separate couples.

It is known that same-sex relations are widespread in prisons. Denial simply drives them into a «dark» zone. As a result – epidemic of HIV and other diseases, system sexual violence among prisoners. The prison hierarchy is constructed so that a gay or a bisexual can at once become a deprived outcast – the «offended». If a person doesn't inform about himself and his sexual orientation at once (having voluntarily gone to «petushatnik») and it becomes clear later, then everything can end absolutely badly for him. When I think about hundreds of thousands people who have passed through the «offended» experience, full of daily humiliations, lawlessness and violence, I feel fear and despair...