Presentations by Streams

Queer people in Russia and Georgia are consistently framed as passive victims, yet this panel engages with the various ways in which these queer subjects demonstrate agency in their decision-making about security and belonging. How do they measure and mitigate risks to their personal security and the security of their families? How do queer Russians and Georgians navigate spaces—be they geographical, social, or digital—to find a sense of belonging in different communities in cases where they may otherwise feel excluded or threatened? How do they manage conflicts between their sense of national identity and LGBTQ+ identity? And finally, how do they decide when, and in what capacity, to be open about their queerness?