Time:

15:00 Amsterdam

19:00 Astana & Bishkek

This ZOOM Webinar is an opportunity to exchange experiences between grassroots activists in The Netherlands and Central Asia, who are focused on queer and trans issues, with the goal of highlighting the obstacles queer and trans people face in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These states are highly invisible in the global mainstream media, or only given a chance to speak when it concerns oil or an excuse for the Western states to push sanctions and destabilize the neighboring powers. Many activists from Central Asia have to appeal to mostly 'white' institutions in the West, so this event is a chance to push for more trans-national solidarity between grassroots activists and organizations, instead of going through traditional channels of NGOs and Euro-American media, which only serves strategic, geopolitical interests, which is how the struggles of queer and trans people are often forgotten. To take care of each other globally, we need to inform ourselves and devise strategies on how to help diminish the struggles marginalized people face all over the world.

The live talk will be hosted by So Roustayar, Amsterdam city counsilor (BIJ1), and will be joined by Altynay Kambekova from Feminita Kazakhstan,an organization protecting LBTQ women's rights, and Sanjar Kurmanov, trans activist and community organizer from Kyrgyzstan. We will talk about how COVID-19 and other issues are impacting queer and trans people living in the post-Soviet dictatorships, as well as discuss how help can be offered and improved trans-nationally.

The event will be in English, but a recording will later be available with subtitles in Kazakh and Kyrgyz.

The webinar will not show the participants videos, but they will be able to ask questions through the chat function.

Registration link:

https://bit.ly/3fOombX

This event is organized by Haydar Mukhit (instagram @hmukhitart), co-hosted by Shakespeare Club. It is supported by COC Amsterdam, Amsterdam Museum, and the Bob Angelo Fonds.