From: "OUR WORLD magazine" <editor@ourworld.lugansk.ua>
Date: Mon,  4 Aug 97 17:41:46 +0400
Subject: information about OUR WORLD magazine

August 4-th, 1997

Dear friends,

Let me to present you the new all-Ukrainian edition - OUR WORLD magazine. It is Information and Educational and Right-protecting edition.

This magazine is published within the non-governmental project INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ON THE MATTER OF HOMOSEXUALITY AS THE ASPECT OF SOCIAL ACTIVATION OF GAYS AND LESBIANS AND  DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE SOCIETY in Ukraine.

The idea of the project consists that the solution of problems of the people of homosexual orientation in Ukraine is in greater degree depends now on fast formation of visible gay community. For help and acceleration of this process it is necessary, on the one hand, to establish and to improve information communications between already existing gay/lesbian groups, and using all accessible channels to saturate the society with the objective information about homosexuality and homosexuals, on other. In comple
 it will help homosexuals, as latent, and self-realized,  to estimate themselves as gays and lesbians in social plan, to feel and to realize their community, and in final result doing "coming out", to make their life better and to change to better the attitude of the society to them.

The purposes of the project::
- Social activation and encouraging of gays and lesbians in Ukrainian;
- Formation of information communications in gay environment;
- Reducing of homophobic sentiments in the society.

Activities of the project::
1. Objective telling about complex of questions, connected with homosexuality - modern sight on homosexuality from the standpoint of science; real life of lesbians and gay men in Ukraine and through the world; trustworthy image of gay person; and other social, historical, cultural and legal questions.
2. As it is possible more wide spreading of this information.

The concept of the edition provides selection of different almost inaccessible for many information concerning homosexuality - it is various researches in given area, problem articles, information about the life of gay people in Ukraine and in the world, as an example - their personal life-stories, summary of the books, films, touching the given theme, bibliographic notes and other materials on social, historical, legal questions.

The project is noncommercial and the magazine is free-of-charge. OUR WORLD is distributed among gay/lesbian groups, activists, popular and specialized libraries, mass media, social and psychological help services in Ukraine. The mailing list is constantly increasing.

Our project is small-budget. The total budget for the first year of project's realization is $ 6,000 (including equipment and publishing and distribution of 3 numbers of the magazine); for the second year - $ 2,300 (publishing and distribution of 4 numbers of the magazine). Our labor expenditures are voluntary.

We are very needed in information help. We aspire to set up communications with international gay and lesbian organizations and human rights organizations to be well posted about events occurring in the world and spread these information among Ukrainian society through our edition.

It's a pity we doesn't have financial opportunities to have on-line INTERNET connection and find necessary information ourselves. So we ask you all to send us your materials by e-mail. We shall be glad for information help.

We, in turn, shall direct to your address brief translation of our magazine and other information on gay scene and human rights for sexual minorities in Ukraine.

The following number of OUR WORLD will be issued under plan in the second decade of September.

Please direct your mail to the address: Andrei Maimulakhin, P.O. Box 62, 348051, Lugansk, Ukraine
E-mail address: editor@ourworld.lugansk.ua
Tel./fax: +38 (0642) 47-94-22

Hoping for cooperation.

With best regards,

Andrei Maimulakhin,
The Editor



BRIEF TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH OF OUR WORLD MAGAZINE NO. 1, SPRING OF 1997

Section: From editor/ Pages: 2-3
Title of article: Project "Information and Education on the Matter of Homosexuality as the Aspect of Democratisation of the Society" in Ukraine
Contents: It's told about our grassroots group's project. The aims of it are: a) dethroning of fears and stereotypes, which are existing among average men on occasion of homosexuality and people of homosexual orientation; b) social and psychological support and encouraging of gays and lesbians. The project aspires to push them to integration in the society just as people with distinguished sexual orientation, and thus to make their life free and high-grade.
Title of article: Information and Education magazine "Our World"
Contents: This edition is part of our public project. Its concept provides selection of various and almost inaccessible for many information concerning homosexuality. The magazine is intended as for gays and lesbians, and for all people.
Section: Subject section/ Pages: 3-10
Title of article: Homosexuality: 1. The terminology; 2. The reasons of homosexuality; 3. Becoming adult
Contents: This information is the attempt to analyse what homosexuality is. Taking into account the fact, that in our society there is very great illiteracy in these questions, the article gives a scientific and household terminology; considers the various scientific approaches to understanding of the reasons of occurrence of homosexuality; considers ways of formation of gays and lesbians, mentions arising difficulties to them on their way.
Section: The present: beside/ Pages: 10-14
Title of article: To be queer - it is normal
Contents: Sight on today's homosexual world community and culture. The global changes, occurring now in the world in a sight on homosexuals and homosexuality are shown to the reader. It is also spoken about struggle of gay people for their human rights.
Section: The present: we/ Pages: 29-37
Title of article: To be lesbian in Russia
Contents: This is faithful life story of Irina S., in which she tells about her formation as lesbian in Russia. This story is about those large difficulties, which she had collided with. This story is about her love and happy moments.
Section: Information kaleidoscope: motherland/ Page: 15
Title of article: "Soyuzpechat" sells gay-magazine
Contents: In the several cities of Ukraine in booths of press it was began freely to be on sale Ukrainian gay edition - "One of Us" magazine. This is first case in history. It can be regarded as a very large and important step in an availability of the information about gays for a wide range of people and the attribute of proceeding democratisation of life in the society.
Title of article: Love and morals in the second capital
Contents: It is developed the large-scale struggle with editions of the erotic contents in Kharkov (the former capital of Ukraine). The gay-magazine (one of three in Ukraine) "Love Soldier" has suffered, which has become to be published out unprofitably.
Title of article: Strengthening of punishment for pornography
Contents: Strongly was strengthened the article of criminal punishment for import on the territory of Ukraine, manufacturing, sales and distribution of pornographic subjects. These actions are punished by the conclusion to the term up to 2 years; for video-production - up to 5 years; the same actions, accomplished by group of people - from 5 till 10 years.
Section: Information kaleidoscope: world/ Pages: 15-16
Title of article: New European association of lesbians and gay men
Contents: The story about last ILGA conference.
Title of article: Euro-court attacks SM
Contents: The decision of European court in occasion of control of sado-masochist actions. Opinion of IGLHRC on this matter.
Title of article: Gay Games
Contents: The preliminary information about Gay Games in Amsterdam in 1988.
Title of article: Registered partnership in Brazil?
Contents: Whether registration of same-sex partnership in Brazil will be permitted.
Section: Information kaleidoscope: in figures/ Page: 16
Contents: Some brief data in figures.
Section: The world of creativity: cinema/ Pages: 17-23
Title of article: The Celluloid Closet; The Wedding Banquet; Grief; Priest; Total Eclipse; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Hustler White; Strawberry and Chocolate; Philadelphia; The Cage for Fools; Beautiful Thing; The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; The Toilers and the Wayfarers; Death in Venecia; Bent; Maurice; Querelle - The Contract with Devil; My own Private Idaho; The Crying Game; Sex is...
Contents: The brief reviews of films. Some of them have left on screens absolutely recently, other have already some years ago. Unfortunately very few of them reach Ukrainian spectator.
Section: The world of creativity: music/ Page: 24
Title of article: Music unisex
Contents: Reflections of the author about universal sexuality of the songs of some domestic groups.
Title of article: News
Contents: About the issue of the third series of CD "Glad to be gay"
Section: The world of creativity: literature/ Pages: 25-28
Title of article: Pol Rassel. "The Gay 100". Introduction
Contents: Fragments from introduction to this book, in which the author says about the principle of classification he used; what does he means under gays and lesbians, and etc.
Title of article: "Queer 100" and its translation
Contents: The critical article from press in occasion of this book.
Title of article: Otto Weynenger. "Sex and character"
Contents: Philosophical reasoning (in 1902) of the author on theme of a nature of woman and man. His sight on homosexuality.
Title of article: Jean Gannet. "Querelle"
Contents: The review of book.
Section: Bibliographical notes: gay press/ Pages: 38-39
Title of article: "1/10"
Contents: Russian gay edition.
Title of article: "One of us"
Contents: Ukrainian gay edition.
Section: Bibliographical notes: mass press/ Page: 39
Contents: The summaries on two articles from mass-media, positively touching the theme.
The last page: sources
Page: 40
Contents: Sources of the publications, important in opinion of the editor are specified; Announcements; Section of social advertising.
