Consulate General of the Netherlands

We are all different. We are of different age and sex. We have different racial and ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles, religion, cultural values, political views, sexual orientation, and physical abilities.

It is exactly the differences that give us a possibility to show the diversity of life, accept the values of others and share our own. The Queer festival taking place in St. Petersburg already for the 3rd time is a wonderful opportunity for that.

The Consulate General of the Netherlands in St. Petersburg supports the Queer Festival and highly appreciates the work of the organizers aimed at reducing discrimination, social inequality and isolation and strengthening the idea of tolerance in the society.

Jennes de Mol

Consul General of the Netherlands

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Consulate General of Sweden

The fight against discrimination and intolerance and for equal rights is a difficult one, where civil society plays a vital role. Agents for change, such as your organisation, are carrying out valuable and important work. Your festival in 2010 was a great success and showed, in a non-confrontational way, that queer culture can play a positive role in society.

The Consulate General of Sweden commends your important initiative. We admire your steadfastness and courage and hereby reconfirm our strong support to the International Queer Culture Festival.

Jan Nyberg

Consul General of Sweden

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Amnesty International

We would like to congratulate you on your courage and dedication in organising the International Festival of Queer Culture, especially in the face of the very real risks of discrimination and violence faced by LGBT individuals in Russia, which Amnesty International has documented and continues to document. We strongly support the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association which allow for culturally and socially important events such as the International Queer Culture Festival to take place, as well as the rights to freedom from violence that are held by all, including LGBTI individuals. Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Russian Government to protect the rights of LGBTI individuals to freedom of expression, as well as to protect individuals from violence or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation of gender identity.

Javier Zúñiga

Acting Head of Research & Regional Programmes

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International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation

The Queer Festival has proved being more than just a cultural event. It has showed that unanimity has no boundaries and that art can be a tool to raise awareness of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQI people.

We believe the great efforts the organizers of this annual event undertake to help artists, queer activists and their allies come together and enjoy the joyful mood and colors of this ten-day cultural festival will give their fruitful results, challenging homo/bi/transphobia, social prejudices and stereotypes about lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people.

Sincerely,

Zara Shushanyan on behalf of the IGLYO Board and Staff

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