Gay Guide

Minsk

Homel, Vitebsk, Mahilyou

As part of the former Soviet Union, Belarus is still very much developing a gay scene and fighting for gay and lesbian rights. Since the 1990's there have certainly been improvements for gays and lesbians with the emergance of a a fledgling gay scene. However there is still entrenched homophobia in the country at large. Gay life in Belarus is still largely underground, and most Belarussians consider homosexuality a disease. The country's only gay club, Oscar, was closed by the government in 2000 because police said it "gathers abnormal people," Some mainstream clubs reportedly hold specific gay nights however.

18

14

14

Belarus legalised gay sex in 1994. In Belarus sexual acts between women are legal between the age of 14 to 18. In sexual crime cases the exact age will be determined by court experts and will depends on the level of a girl’s sexual maturity. The age of consent for gay men is 18. There is still much discrimination faced by the Belarus gay and lesbian community. Little understanding of gay rights is shown by the authorities. For example in April 1999 the efforts of Belarus Lambda League to gain official registration were blocked by the Ministry of Justice who arbitrarily increased the number of founding members from ten to fifty. The fight continues and in September 2001 300 gay protesters marched to the Parliament in Minsk under the slogan "We choose love".

10.36 million

Belarusian Ruble BR

The best time to visit Belarus is during the summer (May to September) though even then you will find the temperatures moderate.

Belarus has a moderate continental climate that is influenced by the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The summers are warm and winters are cold while the average annual rainfall ranges 546 mm to 693 mm. Average temperature ranges are from 17.5c in July to -7c in January.