The new media platform UNIT reported about queer people and human rights violations in the post-Soviet space. For the monthly queer view mirror may appear-Newsletter, we have spoken with the creators .
What UNIT?
Ali Feruz: I have several times experienced persecution and discrimination because of my ethnicity and my sexuality. After I had to flee Uzbekistan because I was detained there and tortured, I reported for “Novaya Gazeta” in Russia about the persecution of Homosexuals. Because I should be deported from Moscow back to Uzbekistan, I came finally to Berlin one year ago. There, I developed an internship at the “N-Ost” (network for reporting on Eastern Europe) the idea to establish a platform for reporting on queer people in the post-Soviet space.
Andreas Schmied Ecker: I myself have lived long in Russia and Central Asia. Even if the Situation in these countries is very different, I had increasingly the feeling that I want to put my energy in the fight against discrimination in the post-Soviet space. In the case of UNIT, it is not only queer issues, but also to women’s rights and the position of human rights in General.
what is the work UNIT?
Feruz: We want to be, not primarily from white people report on exotisierte regions, but people who are on-site and from there, to tell. We have in each post-Soviet country partners – journalists, NGOs, and Newspapers. If we have a topic idea, we will discuss within our network, how you can best implement it. Also to avoid clichés: we Currently work on a Comic about a lesbian woman in Chechnya. In the future we would also like to convey Know-how: the exchange of ideas within our Teams, Workshops, or Webinars.
Is your Partner for on-the-spot dangerous? to protect
wrought Ecker: Our Partner is essential. In doing so, we rely on the local Expertise and evaluation. In addition, it is sometimes important to bring certain issues through the backdoor on the Agenda. Recently, we have reported about an Armenian who fled to the Ukraine and is HIV positive. That he is gay, is an important, but not the only aspect of the story – especially since HIV and Aids are issues of concern to all, of course! By making well-told stories about interesting people, we on the one hand, that queer people are not only defined by their sexuality. On the other hand, we are able to escape such censorship, and readers*indoor appeal, which would be quenched in an explicitly queer subject.
How can you support UNIT?
Feruz: We want to be not a mere Medium, but a Community. Therefore, we have chosen a Membership model. For a monthly membership fee of a minimum of five Euro all UNIT members can support our work, make suggestions, ask questions. Through our Crowdfunding we hope to be able to be relevant and independent reports.
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