In Russia An initiative (petition) has been launched on imposing personal restrictions on doctors who promote the pathologization of sexual orientation and gender identity. The reason for this was speech Olga Bukhanovskaya, chief physician at the Phoenix Center, at a professional conference.
You can sign the petition by link here.
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What exactly happened?
At the 18th Congress of Russian Psychiatrists, Olga Bukhanovskaya, who heads the “Phoenix” Medical and Rehabilitation Research Center, announced the existence of a “transgender spectrum disorder.” According to her, this condition encompasses “five disorders,” among which she included homosexuality.
This position directly contradicts international medical standards, according to which homosexuality and transgender identity have long been depathologized in developed countries. The authors of the initiative emphasize that such statements demonstrate a “profound misunderstanding” of global medical practice.
Why is this considered dangerous?
Human rights activists and the petition’s authors consider Bukhanovskaya’s remarks “blatantly discriminatory.” In today’s Russia, where the LGBTQ+ community already faces “hatred and prejudice,” such statements coming from official medical circles create:
- an additional form of pressure on millions of people;
- a threat to the safety of community members;
- the stigmatization of LGBTQ+ individuals in expert discourse.
What measures are the activists calling for?
To protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, the international community is being urged to take “decisive action.” Specifically, the following is proposed:
- Impose targeted sanctions against Olga Bukhanovskaya.
- Impose sanctions against the "Phoenix" Center as a legal entity.
According to the petition’s organizers, this should demonstrate that the international community “will not stand idly by” and will defend the human dignity of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. By signing the petition, people are expressing solidarity with the Russian LGBTQ+ community in their fight for basic human rights.
You can sign the petition by link here.
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