22nd and 24th September
The location will be announces soon

QueerFest invites anyone interested to the open discussion, “Culture and Human Rights”. Together with civil society activists, human-rights activists, journalists, and activist-artists, we will try to answer the following questions:

Where are the borders for self-expression? How can they be justified? Can society really place moral or administrative barriers for open discussion and creativity? In what situations? Where does the necessity to protect social interest end and where does the violation of human right to belief and information begin?

1st day (Thursday, 22th September, from 19.00 to 22.00)

Topic: Russia: between free speech and censoring

Recently, we have continuously been faced with attempts to introduce restrictions. Where do they come from, whom and what are they for? What is one allowed and not allowed to write, say, record and show, and who defines it? Let's discuss, among other topics, legislative initiatives to restrict distribution of information about homosexuality, insults on religious people's feelings, and religious censorship on art.

Open discussion.

2nd day (Saturday, 24th September, 17.00 – 21.00), topic:

Topic: Concept of Human Rights in the Russian Tradition: do Russians need human rights?

On the initiative of the Russian Federation, the question about the relationship between traditional values and human rights was recently discussed at the UN. Is there a problem of choosing between traditional values and human rights? What does the right of the majority mean, and should the society respect a person's choice to live outside the tradition?

Debates with two main speakers and expert groups that present the opposing viewpoints.

The debates are co-organized with "Polit-gramota".