- human rights
- queer
- feminism
- equality
- prismatica
беларуская лгбтк+ суполка
Who we are?
Prismatica is a horizontal queer-feminist initiative from the city of Mogilev, founded in March 2019. We are the first LGBTQ+ initiative in the regions of Belarus, formerly known as "New Regions", 1, unfortunately, one of the few organizations that will continue its activities after 2020. We offer guidance, expertise and resources for LGBTQ+ people's rights advocacy and advocacy and take an intersectional approach. We aim to be a driving force in the broader movement for unity, inclusion and social change in our country.
History
The Prismatica initiative (previously known as "New Regions") was born in March 2019 as a graduation project of the creative leadership program OUTLOUD for LGBTQ+ people in Belarus, which was created by the media about gender and sexuality "Makeout". We set ourselves the goal of developing the queer community in the regional cities of Belarus, since most of the queer-femme initiatives were located in Minsk, and the level of xenophobia in the capital would always be lower than in the regions of the country. This is how we started our activities in Mogilev.
Branding
For five years, our project was called "New Regions", and in March 2024 we changed it to "Prismatics". This happened because we feel that the name "New Regions" no longer reflects our activities. We created our initiative in 2019 to make the regions of Belarus queer-friendly and to make them more empathetic and accepting. And our bare reference point was our native city of Mogilev, where we gathered people for our educational events, discussions and festivals.
That's how we came to "Prismatics". A prism is an optical element designed to refract light. It divides visible light into different colors. This is how a rainbow shines. We believe that all LGBTQ+ people are the necessary rainbow that strengthens Belarusian society and makes it more accepting.
When we started, we were the 12th active LGBTQ+ initiative. But fast forward to 2020, and most of our close:women have left queer activism, and we're one of the few who have continued. Currently, we work mainly online and aim to support LGBTQ+ people throughout Belarus and forced migration to create a safe and inclusive environment through educational and cultural events with an intersectional approach.
Therefore, it is time to say goodbye to the concept of "New Regions" and focus on strengthening the queer people of all Belarus, regardless of their location. We will always prioritize the regions, but we will also continue to expand our activities, helping queer people to become visible and free.
Mission and Values
We work to strengthen the LGBTQ+ community in Belarus and forced migration to create a safe and sustainable environment through educational and cultural events with an inclusive approach.
Our values:
- Feminism
- Ecology
- Human Rights
- Horisontality
- Animal Rights
- Inclusivity
- Equality
- Diversity
- Non-violent
approach
Our team
Our team includes 8 people and 20 volunteers. We work horizontally - this means that there are no hierarchies in our team, and we make all decisions by consensus. However, different people are responsible for different tasks. Yes, our team includes: project manager, technical coordinator, communication manager, fundraiser, project assistants, coordinators of educational programs.
Our plans
Support of LGBTQ+ community and women
we prioritize creating a supportive and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ people and women, advocate for their rights and offer resources and support.
Education
we focus on educational events, workshops and lectures to raise awareness about gender identity, sexuality, feminism, human rights and other relevant topics to reduce stigma and discrimination of queer people in society.
Support for young queer-feminist activists
supporting young activists in the field of LGBTQ+ and feminism will help them challenge social norms, protect their rights and work towards creating an inclusive and fair society in Belarus.
Our dream
We hope to return to Belarus one day and open community centers and shelters for LGBTQ+ people, because everyone in this world should be supported and feel safe.
We also want to reduce the level of hatred and homophobia in Belarus and make LGBTQ+ people visible, show that they are not alone, and create a community of unity in which everyone can feel safe.
