    [House Hearing, 117 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                 UNDERSTANDING THE FIGHT TO PROTECT LGBTQI
                      + RIGHTS IN EUROPE AND EURASIA

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

           SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND CYBER

                                     OF THE

                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                 June 11, 2021

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 117-57

                                   __________

            Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

           Available:  http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/, http://docs.house.gov,
                           or http://www.govinfo.gov

                                  ______

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    44-805 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2021

                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

                      GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York, Chairman

    BRAD SHERMAN, California             MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas, Ranking
    ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey                  Member
    GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia         CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
    THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida          STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
    KAREN BASS, California               SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania
    WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts    DARRELL ISSA, California
    DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island        ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois
    AMI BERA, California                 LEE ZELDIN, New York
    JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas                ANN WAGNER, Missouri
    DINA TITUS, Nevada                   BRIAN MAST, Florida
    TED LIEU, California                 BRIAN FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
    SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania             KEN BUCK, Colorado
    DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota             TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee
    ILHAN OMAR, Minnesota                MARK GREEN, Tennessee
    COLIN ALLRED, Texas                  ANDY BARR, Kentucky
    ANDY LEVIN, Michigan                 GREG STEUBE, Florida
    ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, Virginia         DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
    CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania       AUGUST PFLUGER, Texas
    TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey           PETER MEIJER, Michigan
    ANDY KIM, New Jersey                 NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, New York
    SARA JACOBS, California              RONNY JACKSON, Texas
    KATHY MANNING, North Carolina        YOUNG KIM, California
    JIM COSTA, California                MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR, Florida
    JUAN VARGAS, California              JOE WILSON, South Carolina
    VICENTE GONZALEZ, Texas              RON WRIGHT, Texas
    BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois

                        Jason Steinbaum, Staff Director

                   Brendan Shields, Republican Staff Director
                                     ------

            Subcommittee on Europe, Energy,the Environment and Cyber

                  WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts, Chairman

    SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania             BRIAN FITZPATRICK,
    ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, Virginia             Pennsylvania,Ranking Member
    ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey             ANN WAGNER, Missouri
    THEODORE DEUTCH, Florida            ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois,
    DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island       BRIAN MAST, Florida
    DINA TITUS, Nevada                  DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
    DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota            AUGUST PFLUGER, Texas
    JIM COSTA, California               NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, New York
    VICENTE GONZALEZ, Texas             PETER MEIJER, Michigan
    BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois

                      LEAH NODVIN, Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                   WITNESSES

    Van Roozendaal, Bjorn, Programmes Director, ILGA-Europe..........     6
    Zakharova, Svetlana, Co-Secretary, ILGA-Europe Board Member,
      Russian LGBT Network...........................................    13
    Dombos, Tamas, Board Member, Hatter Society......................    16
    Emson, Dr. Lenny, Director, Kyivpride............................    20

                                    APPENDIX

    Hearing Notice...................................................    35
    Hearing Minutes..................................................    36
    Hearing Attendance...............................................    37

    UNDERSTANDING THE FIGHT TO PROTECT LGBTQI+ RIGHTS IN EUROPE AND EURASIA

                             Friday, June 11, 2021

                              House of Representatives,
      Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment,
                                             and Cyber,
                          Committee on Foreign Affairs,
                                                        Washington, DC.

        The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 11:07 a.m.,
    via Webex, Hon. William R. Keating (chairman of the
    subcommittee) presiding.
        Mr. Keating. Good morning, everyone.
        And we would like to welcome our distinguish witnesses.
        This month around the world we recognize Pride month, a
    celebration that started as a protest to advance the rights of
    the LGBTQI+ identifying people and ensure equal treatment under
    the law.
        In anticipation of this month, we organized this hearing
    focused on the fight to protect these important civil rights in
    Europe and Eurasia. Under the leadership of Chairman Meeks,
    this will be the first hearing held by the House of
    Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee focused solely on the
    advancement of LGBTQI+ rights, but it will not be the last, and
    it is built on the legislative work of many of my colleagues,
    especially those on the subcommittee.
        Representative David Cicilline, the chair of the
    congressional LGBTQI+ Equality Caucus, has been leading the way
    with legislation like the Equality Act and the Global Respect
    Act. And Representative Titus has reintroduced the GLOBE Act
    just this month. Importantly, later this month Chairman Meeks
    will hold a hearing on LGBTQI+ rights globally.
        All of these efforts are based on the belief in universal
    rights for all people. I am proud to stand with the human
    rights activists and defenders, fighting for this cause.
    Indeed, as a result of the work of human rights groups around
    the world, great strides have been made in the advancement of
    equally rights for all people, including LGBTQI+ identifying
    people. The European Union, along with our own country, are now
    considered some of the most open and free places for LGBTQI+
    identifying people to not only live but to prosper.
        Now we, the United States, as an historic leader for human
    rights globally, must make it clear that LGBTQI+ rights are
    universal. And I commend the Biden Administration for making it
    a U.S. policy to lead by the power of our example in the cause
    of advancing this important human right to all people around
    the world. For this reason we are here today to highlight and
    uplift the voices of this community, a community that we
    continue to tirelessly work with to pave the way toward
    equality at home and abroad.
        Unfortunately, in some countries in Europe and Eurasia,
    this work is far from over and some LGBTQI+ communities
    experience a range of discriminatory practices and outright
    violence. For this reason I have called this hearing and
    invited activists and experts on the ground in Europe and
    Eurasia to speak to the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ community
    members in the region and how the United States and its
    partners can create and implement tangible change, change that
    will protect these important human rights.
        Inspired by initiatives like a resolution passed by the
    European Parliament, declaring the European Union an LGBTQI+
    Freedom Zone, this morning, with the support of many of the
    members of the committee, I introduced a resolution that
    underscores the right of the LGBTQI+ identifying people to
    equal and unalienable human rights around the world including
    Europe and Eurasia. We can and we must do much more to uphold
    and promote the equal rights protection of these identifying
    people so that they, too, can live prosperous, happy, and free
    lives.
        With that said, I would like to welcome the witnesses who
    are joining us today. We are deeply grateful for your
    willingness to share your knowledge and advice with the
    Subcommittee to better inform us and all of the U.S. and our
    transatlantic allies on important information and experiences
    for the advancement of rights at home here and abroad.
        I will now turn to the ranking member, Representative
    Fitzpatrick, for his opening remarks.
        Mr. Fitzpatrick. Thank you, Chairman Keating, and to our
    friend and colleague, David Cicilline, and thanks to all the
    witnesses here today.
        And this is an incredibly important topic, one very
    important to me, and it is also timely as June is Pride month
    here in the United States.
        And today we will discuss the LGBTQI+ rights in Europe and
    Eurasia. I am sure our witnesses will discuss the progress that
    has been made over the last few decades, as well as areas that
    need immediate and decisive remedies. The Council of Europe
    Steering Committee for Human Rights noted substantial progress
    regarding the legal and social recognitions of the LGBTQI+
    persons across its 47 member States over the last decade.
    However, they also recognize that the wide variation in the
    rights and protections lend itself to a myriad of challenges.
        In a 2021 annual report by the counsel of Europe's
    Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, officials warned of
    a growing backlash against the protection of LGBTQI+ persons'
    human rights. Oppressive political policies that target members
    of the community like those in Russia are a strong indicator of
    human rights abuses in civil society as well. When we see these
    abuses, we have an obligation to take action.
        Russian authorities destroyed families and stripped
    adoptive parents of their children on mere suspicions. Human
    rights monitors reported that in 2017 men were rounded up in
    Chechnya based on their suspected sexual orientation and were
    beaten and tortured, some to death. Human rights activists in
    Russia have suffered wrongful imprisonment, physical assault,
    and egregious intimidation by the State for standing up for
    their friends and families.
        These actions run contrary to our own nation's ideals of
    tolerance and diversity. And in the face of hate-based
    incidents, we must stand together, resolute in the pursuit of
    justice. No person should ever feel threatened based on who
    they are, what they believe, or who they love. Basic rights and
    human dignity are at the core of American values, and it should
    remain the top priority of our foreign policy objectives.
        While we take this month to celebrate advancements made in
    civil rights throughout the United States, we must work to
    actively combat intolerance and stand together to promote
    equality and dignity for all.
        I will tell you I will continue to do so throughout my
    tenure in Congress. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the
    aisle to do the same, and I am glad this subcommittee has
    recognized the value of this issue. I am grateful for our
    witnesses being here and look forward to your testimony today.
        Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
        Mr. Keating. I would like to thank the ranking member for
    his remarks.
        And I would like to now turn to Representative Cicilline,
    the chair of the LGBTQI+ Equality Caucus, for a 3-minute
    opening statement.
        Representative Cicilline.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to you
    and to the ranking member for calling this really important
    hearing as we gather to reaffirm our commitment to advocate on
    behalf of those that are increasingly persecuted and
    marginalized because of who they, are who they love and how
    they identify. Without that commitment, we risk not the rights
    only of LGBTQI people, we risk not just democracy for LGBTQI+
    people, we risk not just the safety and security of LGBTQI
    people, we risk it for all people. As chair of the
    congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus, I hope today will serve as
    a marker on a path back to American, European, and global
    leadership on human rights for all.
        Thirty years ago much of Eastern and Central Europe threw
    off the shackles of oppression and chartered a future that
    sought freedoms for all the people of Europe, the future in
    which human rights and democracy would define a continent that
    had been suppressed by the unrelenting despair of decades of
    tyranny and oppression. For many that optimism has been
    replaced by a sense of fear than even in parts of Europe today
    they cannot truly be free from discrimination, persecution, or
    violence.
        In Poland, LGBTQI+ people must live in fear in LGBTQI+ free
    zones that deny them their very humanity. In Hungary, Viktor
    Orban scapegoats the LGBTQI+ community to continue his assaults
    on the freedoms of Hungarian. In Ukraine, the future of
    democracy and the rule of law is imperiled by the prospect of
    Russian-backed legislation that would deny the rights of
    Ukraine's LGBTQI+ population. In Chechnya, LGBTQI+ people must
    live underground for fear of being abducted and tortured by
    authorities.
        It is perhaps unsurprising then that many of these States
    are also democratic laggage that have seen basic civil
    liberties like freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and
    the right to voice political opposition curtailed. The mistakes
    some risk making is human regression of human rights of LGBTQI+
    people in these States is an issue that affects just one group
    of people. Our own recent history here in United States has
    taught us that political opportunists will never stop finding a
    new scapegoat.
        So let us remind ourselves of fundamental truths. The
    violence against any people because of who they are is a
    violence against all people. An injustice against any people of
    how they identify is an injustice against all people, that
    discrimination against any person is intolerable and cannot
    stand, and that equality is the indispensable tool for
    advancing the rights of all peoples everywhere.
        And, Mr. Chairman, with the legislation on the Global
    Respect Act and the GLOBE Act, we can once again demonstrate
    our commitment to leading on behalf of some of the world's most
    vulnerable people. I thank you again for calling this hearing
    and look forward to working with you, my colleagues on this
    subcommittee, and all of our colleagues in the House to protect
    the rights of a few so that we may protect the rights of all.
        And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative Cicilline. Thank you
    for your leadership.
        I will now introduce our witnesses, and I thank you all for
    being here today.
        Bjorn van Roozendaal is the program director for ILGA-
    Europe. Svetlana Zakharova is the co-secretary for ILGA-Europe
    and a board member at the Russian LGBT Network.
    Tamasmbos is a board member at the Hatter Society in
    Hungary. And Dr. Lenny Emson is the director of the NGO Kyiv
    Pride in Ukraine.
        I will now recognize the witnesses for 5 minutes each. And,
    without objection, your prepared written statements will be
    made part of the record.
        Mr. van Roozendaal, you are now recognized for your opening
    statement.

     STATEMENT OF BJORN VAN ROOZENDAAL, PROGRAMMES DIRECTOR, ILGA-
                                 EUROPE

        Mr. van Roozendaal. Thank you, Chairman Keating, for the
    initiative of this hearing and thank you, Ranking Member
    Fitzpatrick and Representative Cicilline, for all of the work
    that you are doing in this area.
        I appreciate the initiative for this hearing today and your
    interest in the situation of LGBTI rights in Europe and Central
    Asia. It comes as a critical time as, unfortunately, there is
    widespread and almost complete stagnation on the human rights
    of LGBTI people in the region. COVID-19 seems to have become an
    excuse to expunge LGBTI rights in many countries. Let me give a
    few examples.
        Civil society space has been shrinking in countries like
    Poland, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkey, often limiting
    possibilities for LGBTI activists to exercise their human
    rights work. Uzbeky government continues to penalize same-sex
    conduct between men, and it is high time that the criminal law
    is abolished.
        The impact of anti-trans sentiments is unfortunately felt
    across the region, not just only in Eastern Europe and Central
    Asia but also in places where historically more progress on
    LGBTI rights was made like the United Kingdom, as well as
    Scandinavian countries. These sentiments are not just
    conceptual debates on the notion of gender. Unfortunately they
    deeply impact LGBTQI people in their everyday lives.
    Organizations from across the region have reported over the
    last year increasing hatred online but also in the streets.
        While legal protections against violence and discrimination
    exists in many countries, there unfortunately also remain too
    many gaps. Hate crime laws are absent not just in countries
    like Armenia and Slovenia but also in Germany and Ireland. And
    we see the implementation of existing procedures on legal
    gender recognition worsening including in places like Georgia,
    Spain, and Serbia.
        Distinguished members of this House, some countries in
    Europe once may have been the beacon of hope for LGBTI rights
    globally but we have learned that progress made in the work
    toward equality provide no guarantees for the future.
        COVID-19 seems to have become an excuse for too many
    leaders in government in making progress on providing
    protection and equality through law or to speak out to rising
    anti-LGBTI sentiments.
        It would be easy to blame it all on political attention
    being immersed in the public health response to COVID-19 and
    the ensuing the economic fallout, but the reality is a lot more
    complex. In too many countries progress is stopped because
    there is increased political polarization on LGBTI issues and
    because governments do not see it as a political issue, as a
    priority issue. LGBTQI organizations are at the very center of
    these developments.
        Currently and often as a result of COVID, many provide
    humanitarian support to their communities, as governments fail
    to provide basic needs. In the context of rising opposition,
    providing security and emergent protection has become evermore
    important in the work. With scarce resources and fading
    political attention, too many activists struggle to balance the
    need to provide support to their communities, while keeping
    afloat the political work to advance LGBTQI rights.
        The U.S. State Department and USAID have been financially
    and politically supportive toward the work of LGBTQI movements
    globally for several years and with bipartisan support. It is
    critically important this funding and political support
    continues, that the funding increases, and that it continues to
    focus on the European and Central Asian regions. And it is
    important that these efforts continue to be prioritized and
    integrated in wider efforts to support anti-democratic
    developments.
        Thankfully in these difficult times European institutions
    have stepped up their work to support LGBTQI rights. The EU
    last year adopted the LGBTQI Equality Strategy which includes
    an extensive plan of action on many fronts. European
    Parliament, as was already said, like this House, undertakes
    cross-party action to advance the rights of LGBTQI people in
    the EU but also globally. And the Council of Europe has created
    an anti-discrimination steering committee which works on sexual
    orientation and gender identity as part of its mandate.
        In a time where working in alliances evermore important,
    there is political capital to work on both sides of the
    Atlantic. For the U.S. Government, the European institutions
    are important partners to work with, not just for the promotion
    of LGBTQI rights in foreign policy but also incorporating to
    strengthen human rights at home, which, given the growing
    polarization, I think is an important dimension in doing this
    work successfully as it builds political credibility to this
    important work. Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Van Roozendaal follows:]

     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

           Mr. Keating. Well, thank you, Mr. van Roozendaal.
        Now I will recognize Ms. Zakharova--Zakharova--I
    apologize--for your opening statement.
        Ms. Zakharova.

      STATEMENT OF SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA, CO-SECRETARY, ILGA-EUROPE
                   BOARD MEMBER, RUSSIAN LGBT NETWORK

        Ms. Zakharova. Thank you, Chair Keating, Ranking Member
    Fitzpatrick, and Representatives.
        My name is Svetlana Zakharova. I am a lesbian, a feminist,
    and a human rights defender from Russia. I work with the
    Russian LGBT Network since 2014, and Russian LGBT Network is
    the biggest organization in the country that fights for equal
    rights for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation and
    gender identity.
        Last December I became the director of the Legal and Social
    Support Charitable Foundation Sphere, organization-operator of
    the LGBT Network.
        I am grateful for this opportunity to testify before the
    subcommittee, especially today. Exactly on said date, 8 years
    ago, the so-called propaganda law was adopted in Russia at
    Federal level.
        This legislation is really bad in many ways but I think
    that the trickiest thing about this legislation is the fact
    that it do not define what exactly propaganda means and, as a
    result, every judge or State official or even police officer
    decide by himself or herself if a particular case is propaganda
    or not.
        The truth is this legislation is not really used widely,
    but it creates an atmosphere of impunity for the perpetrators.
    Those people who commit hate crimes, they believe that they are
    doing the right thing. They believe that the authority is
    behind them. And LGBT+ communities on the other side feel
    targeted, vulnerable, and unprotected.
        The consequences of this legislation on Euros open public
    discussion about LGBT+ rights in Russia is almost impossible.
    LGBT minors do not get any support because psychologists and
    social workers are just afraid to work with them. They are
    afraid of being accused of propaganda. Online sources the
    related to LGBT+ issues are being blocked. The amount of hate
    crimes has grown. Freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and
    freedom of assembly are violated.
        And the extreme case is what happened in Chechnya. LGBT
    people are deprived of the very basic right, the right to life.
    In 2017, the whole world learned that LGBT+ people in Chechnya
    are being kidnapped, tortured, and even killed just because of
    their sexual orientation or gender identity. We started to
    support those people in 2017, and we still are doing that
    because it is far from being over.
        Actually I planned to devote my testimony to the rights
    LGBT+ in Russia is growing and getting stronger, despite of all
    the pressure and everything that is going on in the country. I
    wanted to talk about the ways how public opinion is changing to
    the better because of the works of organizations and people who
    are working hard every day to do so, but yesterday happened
    something that changed my testimony completely.
        Last night the shelter for victims of the domestic violence
    in Makhachkala Dagestan was attacked by the law enforcement
    agencies. Several women including Svetlana Anokhina, a human
    rights defender, were brutally detained. They are still
    detained for no reasons but helping other women. We believe
    that this shelter was attacked because Khalimatt Taramova was
    there--recently she contacted the Russian LGBT Network and she
    said that her life is in mortal danger because of her sexual
    orientation. With her girlfriend she managed to leave Chechnya.
    She went to the Daghestan Makhachkala, and she was in the
    shelter. She was waiting for evacuation to a safer place, but
    basically she was kidnapped by the law enforcement agencies.
    She was taken back to Chechnya, and probably she was given to
    her parents. We do not know if she is alive. Her girlfriend was
    released today. She managed to contact us and to tell us what
    really happened. She is out of Makhachkala Daghestan now.
        The situation is just unbelievable. The law enforcement
    agencies are attacking shelters of the victims of the domestic
    violence and kidnap people they should protect. It happened in
    Russia right now. And I want to point your attention to that
    and to the ways how some people in Russia are deprived from
    this very basic right, the right to life. We all know that our
    Presidents are going to meet soon and I believe that this the
    situation with LGBT+ rights in Russia, in Chechnya, and
    especially the fate of Khalimat Taramova should be discussed.
        Thank you for your attention.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Zakharova follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Ms. Zakharova.
        The chair now recognizes for 5 minutes Mr. Dombos.

        STATEMENT OF TAMAS DOMBOS, BOARD MEMBER, HATTER SOCIETY

        Mr. Dombos. Chairman Keating, members of the subcommittee,
    I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you about the
    gross violations of human rights of LGBTQI people in Hungary.
    My testimony today is in my capacity as board member of Hatter
    Society and the Hungarian LGBT Alliance.
        Historically speaking, Hungary was a country with a
    relatively high level of acceptance and legal protections
    afforded to sexual and gender minorities. The country
    decriminalized homosexuality in 1961. The first gay association
    was set up before the end of socialism. The law recognizes
    same-sex couples since 1996. Transgender people had access to
    legal gender recognition. Budapest, our lovely capital, hosted
    the first ever Pride march in the region more than two decades
    ago in 1997.
        In the past decade and especially in the past 2 years,
    however, the legal, social, and political situation of LGBTQI
    people has severely deteriorated. It started with the adoption
    of a new constitution in 2012. It contains a provision that
    defines marriage as a union between a woman and a man and
    family with only reference to marriage and parent-child
    relationships. Since, then our families have lived in a legal
    vacuum.
        Governmental homophobia and transphobia reached a new peak
    in 2019 when high-ranking public officials, governing
    politicians, and overwhelmingly government-controlled public
    and private media started to speak in an unprecedentedly
    hostile way about our community. The speaker of the parliament
    likened same-sex couples raising children to pedophiles. Prime
    Minister Orban said homosexuals should keep their hands off our
    children. A senior member of parliament called for banning our
    Pride march and for boycotting Coca-Cola as they featured a
    same-sex couple in advertisements.
        But the attacks did not stop at words. Last May the
    parliament banned legal gender recognition for trans and
    intersex people. Trans people now have to live with official
    documents that do not reflect their gender identity and/or
    their appearance.
        In December 2020, the parliament restricted adoption by
    non-married couples--non-married persons. It will not longer be
    professionals but rather a politician, our openly homophobic
    Minister of Family Affairs, who will make decisions on who is a
    suitable parent.
        Most recently, just yesterday, an amendment was introduced
    in parliament, copying the infamous Russian propaganda law. The
    amendment would ban discussions on homosexuality and trans
    persons in schools, ban advertisements portraying gay and
    lesbian couples, and sanction shops selling books or movies
    featuring LGBTQI+ people to minors. And we are not talking
    about the portrayal of sexual relations but any portrayal of a
    gay or lesbian person, a same-sex couple, or a transgender
    person.
        Most of these legislative changes happened during the peak
    of the COVID crisis when hundreds of people were dying every
    day. All these changes form part of a very conscious and
    diabolic political strategy to divert attention away from the
    inability of the government to tackle the health, social, and
    economic crisis COVID brought to our country.
        While these discussions were happening in parliament,
    extreme right-wing paramilitary groups felt encouraged to
    disrupt our work in legal ways. Dozens of Nazis regularly come
    to our events, not just the Pride march but movie screenings,
    workshops, discussions. They threaten the participants,
    physically abuse the organizers, steal or burn our rainbow
    flags, and the police offer no protection.
        We are sad, angry, and fearful. The rights we have fought
    for so hard for so long can be taken away from us at the
    glimpse of a moment. We have become tools in a political game.
    We became enemy No. 1 just because of the way we love or the
    way we identify. Don't be misled by the government's
    propaganda. The majority of Hungarians are not homophobes or
    transphobes. The majority agrees with legal equality for LGBTQI
    people, with legal gender recognition of trans people, with
    same-sex couples being a family. These are facts of public
    opinion polls.
        We are not threatened by our society. We are threatened by
    a political leadership that creates and fights false enemies
    instead of governing the country, a political leadership that
    completely disregards not only its international obligations
    but binding court decisions. If they do not agree with a court
    ruling, they change the law the next day. They abolish checks
    and balances, dismantle democratic institutions, fill up our
    courts and public bodies with their friends.
        The problems we face do not only target us as LGBTQI Pride
    persons, they target us as human rights defenders, as
    independent civil society actors, as autonomous citizens.
        But we do not give up. We will fight our legal battles, and
    we will protect our community from these attacks. We will make
    sure that every person understands how living in such a hostile
    political environment undermines our everyday existence, our
    mental and physical well-being. And we will make sure that our
    country finds its way back to a community of democracies built
    on the respect for human rights, equality and the rule of law.
    But we need your help as well. You have to hold our government
    accountable to its international human rights commitments.
    Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Dombos follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Dombos. I would now like to
    call on Dr. Emson for your opening statement. Dr. Emson.

           STATEMENT OF DR. LENNY EMSON, DIRECTOR, KYIVPRIDE

        Dr. Emson. Chair Keating, Ranking Member Fitzpatrick, and
    distinguished members of the committee, thank you for inviting
    me to testify on this important issue during the Pride month.
        I represent an NGO that annually organizes the largest
    LGBTQI rally newspaper Ukraine, Kyiv Pride March of Equality.
    Back in 2013, the Kyiv Pride march began on a short walk of
    about 50 people and took place in the outskirts of the city. It
    was tremendously hard to make sure that authorities didn't ban
    it to ensure our protection from groups opposing equal rights.
    In just 6 years the Kyiv Pride march has transformed into a
    massive rally of more than 10,000 people taking place in
    central Kyiv in 2019.
        The striking difference in numbers within a span of just a
    few years demonstrates the progress our society has made in
    terms of respecting and protecting LGBTI rights. This progress
    would have not been possible without the consistent support of
    the United States. The efforts to strengthen Ukraine's police
    reform and civil society were not in vain.
        However, some very serious challenges remain for our
    community. Our increased visibility has sparked a surge in the
    numbers of hate crimes against LGBTI people. Violent groups
    advocating hatred began targeting us. They often come to our
    events and do whatever they can to disrupt them including
    resorting to violence. These groups are operating in an
    organized manner. They are easy to identify, but they enjoy
    mere total impunity for their attacks.
        Today several right-radical NGO's are clearly visible in
    acting in many cities of the country. In 2020, they have
    organized several attacks on LGBTI community centers and events
    such as Odesa Pride when a dozen participants was attacked and
    injured.
        In 2021, the community center of the LGBT Association,
    LIGA, has received bomb threats twice. These actions are widely
    supported by many Ukrainian politicians. And MPs and the number
    of attacks on LGBTI activities by far right groups has sharply
    increased, 24 cases in 2020 against 11 in 2019.
        Just within the last week of May this year there have been
    four such attacks including one attack on a Kyiv Pride-
    organized film screening.
        Every time we have to live in fear of yet another attack.
    Unfortunately the police are not doing nearly enough to address
    such attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable. Currently
    Ukraine does not explicitly recognize homophobia as motives of
    a hate crime in its legislation. This issue is invisible for
    the State.
        Holding perpetrators accountable, even without
    acknowledging hate motive, is also incredibly rare. In one
    emblematic case of activist Vitalina Koval, people who threw
    paint at her and caused chemical burns to her eyes were charged
    with causing her minor bodily harm and were brought before
    court. The court was looking into her case for almost 3 years
    and yet failed to prosecute Vitalina Koval's attackers because
    of an expired statute of limitations for such crimes.
        The lack of legislation that recognizes homophobia as types
    of discriminatory motives, as well as the lack of effective
    investigations, is what keeps pulling our country back in terms
    of LGBTI rights progress.
        The good news is our government has recently registered a
    bill that will introduce the reform of the anti-hate crime
    legislation. We expect this bill to be widely opposed and so we
    would like to ask for solidarity from the international
    community.
        Our members of parliamentary should be urged that this
    reform is necessary. I would also like to emphasize that, even
    if we would have the most perfect law addressing hate crimes,
    this law would still have to be implemented. That is why any
    kind of support to continue Ukraine's police reform is most
    welcome.
        In 2013, the Kyiv Pride March for Equality took place
    largely because of the international support from governments,
    embassies, and allied organizations. Today civil society in
    Ukraine needs that same support in order to ensure that legal
    reform continues and that these acts of violence against the
    LGBTI community are rightly considered hate crimes and are
    prosecuted as such.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Emson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Dr. Emson, and thank all of you for
    your testimony.
        I will now recognize all members for 5 minutes each
    pursuant to House rules. All time yielded is for the purposes
    of questioning witnesses. Because of the virtual format of this
    hearing, I will recognize members of the committee by seniority
    alternating between Democrats and Republicans. If you miss your
    turn, please let our staff know and we will circle back to you.
    If you seek recognition, you must unmute your microphone and
    address the chair verbally. I will now recognize myself for 5
    minutes.
        And I want to thank the witnesses. I think you all did a
    very good job of showing how the connection with LGBTQI+
    rights, these basic civil rights, the deterioration of that
    coincides with other types of democratic backsliding.
        One of the issues, whether it is rule of law, whether it is
    enforcement by police or law enforcement, security people,
    but--or the judiciary, I just want to start with one question--
    and I think it was Mr. Dombos that brought this up--but one of
    the areas of backsliding that are concerning are what is
    happening in these authoritarian countries with the media.
        Could you_all comment on how they are using the media to
    really tamp down these basic human rights and the kind of
    things they are doing? I think that--we see what they are doing
    in Russia now with the foreign agents legislation. We are
    seeing the effect on Radio Free Europe. And we are seeing it on
    Meduza and other sources.
        So could you share with us just how this is happening and
    what kind of a threat it presents? Anyone that would like to
    start with that would be great, yes.
        Ms. Zakharova. Chair Keating, I would like to start.
        Well, you started to talk about Russia and I myself am from
    Russia. At Charitable Foundation Sphere, I am the director of
    the organization added to the list of foreign agents since
    2016. So I know exactly how to--how it to be a foreign agent.
        Talking about mass media, most mass media in Russia is
    State controlled and it is really hard to go to them and to
    present a different image of LGBT+ community and most of them
    portray LGBT+ community as pedophiles, as foreign agents, as
    people who want to destroy our traditional values, whatever it
    is supposed to mean. But, of course, we have support from the
    independent mass media and we are really grateful for this
    support because it is almost the only chance for us to talk
    about LGBT rights.
        Thank you.
        Mr. Keating. Anyone else want to comment on that?
        I have another question. In a parliamentary system, unlike
    our own, we are finding in very close elections the coalitions
    coming together that are formed after those elections often
    rely on small minority parties to give them a coalition
    majority. Are you seeing some of the far-right right groups
    that are actually attacking these basic human rights, forming
    these colations and what kind of influence are they having,
    albeit a small minority, but also leveraging that for a
    coalition? Do you see any of that occurring in these small
    parties?
        Mr. Dombos.
        Mr. Dombos. Yes, just first to react to the media,
    currently in Hungary, the media is under strict governmental
    control. Yes, there is private media but many of the private
    media has been bought by pro-government businessmen with the
    help of loans from the government and the public media and all
    these pro-government media are micromanaged. They are told what
    message to send, which people to invite.
        Just to give you an example, a few months ago I was invited
    to the public radio for a discussion about a specific topic. We
    set up an interview. And 15 minutes later I got a phone call,
    saying that, ``I am sorry. We cannot have that interview
    because you appear on the list of banned persons.'' And so
    there is an official list in the public radio about
    organizations and people that they cannot invite. I mean, that
    is the level of oppression in the media that happens.
        And regarding the second question, in Hungary I think the
    most extremist political party currently is Fidesz. It is the
    governing party. We have had Jobbik, an extreme-right party
    that, compared to Fidesz, now is a moderate centrist party.
    Over the past 10 years, month after month the government has
    become more xenophobic, racist, and most recently completely
    LGBTQI-phobic. They--they create now a fake party, Mi Hazan,
    and they play into the hands of this extremist party so that
    they can claim they are not the most extreme one but do not be
    fooled by it. This is a political game. They created a party
    that is more--that seems to be more extremist than them so that
    they can claim that they are a centrist moderate party and if
    they are not in power, then those Nazis will come in. Those
    Nazis are them. They are financing them. They are giving them
    media space to create this image that they are the moderate
    centrist parties. That is a lie.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you so much for that.
        I now recognize Representative Deutch for 5 minutes for his
    questions.
        Mr. Deutch. Thanks. Thanks so much, Mr. Chairman, and
    thanks for calling this really important and_I think we can
    say_historic hearing. In on our committee, I am just glad that
    I am one of several members of the congressional LGBTQI+--
    Equality Caucus, including our caucus chair, Mr. Cicilline. The
    caucus and this committee share a common understanding that the
    United States' responsibility to stand up for equality and
    human rights for the LGBTQI+ community does not stop at our
    borders, and this month in particular we stand in international
    solidarity not only with our own LGBTQI+ constituents here, but
    with communities around the world.
        And as this hearing has already demonstrated, the right of
    every person to have equal opportunity, regardless of gender or
    sexual orientation, regardless of who they love or their gender
    presentation, is an unequivocal part of our nation's human
    rights vision and correspondingly of our nation's foreign
    policy. So I am really grateful to all the witnesses and to
    you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this important hearing.
        I want, Mr. Chairman, to followup on your questions about
    democratic backsliding and we have--we have talked about this
    before. In recent years the backsliding we have seen across
    Europe and Eurasia has created a space for increased
    discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community, and Hungary and
    Poland are certainly of particular concern, with rapid
    democratic deterioration and codified reversals in progress for
    the community.
        Mr. Dombos, your last response about Fidesz creating a
    party so that they can appear to be the moderate party I think
    is a really troubling--a really troubling part of this
    conversation. But there is a trend here.
        And so what I would like, I would ask all of our panelists,
    if you could put this--the struggles for, and the attacks on
    ,the LGBTQI+ community in the context, the broader context, of
    the deterioration of democratic institutions across the--across
    Europe and Eurasia, what--what is--how does this fit in?
        And, Mr. Dombos, you had made reference to this.
    Specifically, when you include this as part of the greater
    human rights struggle, how does the backsliding in your
    country--I will start with you and then everyone--how does it
    wind up--how does it wind up impacting the community
    specifically when you see this democratic backsliding taking
    place?
        Mr. Dombos. Well, I think the reaction of most people is to
    just run away, run away, either, like, completely closing out
    politics from their lives, because, you know, every morning you
    get up and you read a statement like that. Or they run out of
    the country. I mean, you know, we are in the EU, unlike Ukraine
    and Russia. So it is a right of any citizen to just leave the
    country and live in another country, and that is what is
    happening. After the trans law was adopted, dozens and dozens
    of my trans friends left the country from one day to the other
    because they said they do not want to live in a country that
    denies them the basic right, the basic rights to be who they
    are and to have the name they want.
        And, yes, I think it is very important to note this, that
    LGBTI people are just one among many other groups that are
    targeted. We are currently targeted the most in Hungary. But,
    you know, a few years ago it was homeless people. It was
    migrants. It was George Soros with very clear anti-Semitic
    tones. So it is--this is the logic of the government: to find
    an enemy and then pretend that they are saving the country from
    that enemy.
        And, unfortunately, since they have 2/3 majority, they can
    do whatever they want with legislation. They can change the
    constitution from 1 day to the other. They can, if they do not
    like what a certain public body is doing, they just abolish the
    public body. So they do not--you know, they do not fire the
    person. They just abolish the public body, and this is what
    happened with the data protection ombuds.
        Mr. Deutch. I appreciate that, Mr. Dombos. I just wanted to
    give----
        Mr. Dombos. Yes.
        Mr. Deutch. I would just like to provide an opportunity for
    the other witnesses.
        Maybe, Ms. Zakharova, can I ask you to comment on this?
        Ms. Zakharova. Yes. Absolutely. Thank you, Representative
    Deutch.
        As well as Hungary, in Russia LGBT is not the only targeted
    group and it is very clear to me that this part of civil
    society and all civil society is really oppressed and we can
    see how it was in the legislation of the foreign agents were
    adopted and we are now in the same box. Basically there is only
    one party in Russia and all the rest are considered to be the
    opposition and the opposition is oppressed.
        Mr. Deutch. Well, I appreciate it.
        Mr. Keating, I hope we will get to hear from the other
    witness on this as well but I will--I am out of time. So I will
    yield back. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative. We might have time
    for a second round, too. So if you are interested in pursuing
    that, we will do it.
        To the witnesses, I will say this, that when you answer the
    question, you do not have to be recognized, unless the member
    designates, you know, a question directly for you. So feel free
    to jump in with a question, unless it is a, you know, an
    appointed designation.
        So with that, I am going to recognize Representative
    Cicilline.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you again
    for this historic hearing. Thank you to the witnesses for being
    here. Happy Pride. Thank you for your heroic work around the
    world.
        You know, as I was listening to the testimony, it struck me
    that, you know, there must be a set of conditions in places in
    Europe and Eurasia that are leading, you know, politicians and
    State actors to conclude that supporting anti-LGBTQ parties is
    in their best interest and so I wondered if you could speak to
    kind of: What are the social, economic, and political
    conditions that are contributing to that and what, you know,
    are the long-term implications of being prevented from
    representing positive, you know, providing positive
    representations of LGBTQI people, particularly to young people,
    and kind of next generation of attitudes? But, you know, what
    is causing this?
        I think, Mr. Dombos, you said this is part of a strategy to
    divert attention from failed economic policies by rallying
    people around someone that they can create as a villain. I just
    wonder. What other conditions that you are seeing that are
    leading to this?
        Dr. Emson. If I may.
        Mr. Cicilline. Dr. Emson, do you want to start?
        Dr. Emson. Yes, all right. Thank you for question because
    it is a very important issue for our countries and I believe
    poverty is a big issue and, you know, economic pressure that
    people feel and government is really looking for some reason
    and looking for the channel where they can put people's anger,
    right. And governments in our countries, they are really
    looking at LGBTQI people as a group that can be really, you
    know, attacked without any consequences for attackers. Right?
        In our country, for example, and after the pandemic crisis,
    the situation is really not easy and today we have a lot of
    young people, new generation that are really transphobic, they
    are really homophobic and really aggressive toward LGBTQI, and
    they gather in groups. They gather even in registered
    organizations and they attack LGBTQI events and LGBTQI people
    and even people who are not belonging to LGBTQI communities
    but, like, look like LGBT, right, so people who look not
    normal, right, people who are different from the majority of
    the society.
        And this is very, very scary situation right now because,
    as my colleagues said before, it is not only about LGBTQI
    group. We have very visible. That is why we are attacked. But
    this anger is directed on many more groups like chroma people,
    like homeless people, and other groups that are not protected
    and, unfortunately, the government does not think about
    protecting them and about really making the country a safe
    place for everyone which is really important for us right now.
    Thank you.
        Mr. Cicilline. So can I ask any of the witnesses? You know,
    I think one of the things that we--the purpose of this hearing
    is to think about ways that the United States can partner with
    our European allies or European institutions like the Council
    of Europe to promote LGBT equality and dignity and obviously
    passing the Equality Act and passing some legislation that will
    reaffirm our commitment to the principles of equality for our
    community is one thing.
        But what other things can we do as the U.S. Congress to
    support the work that you are doing? I mean, we are very
    conscious of not--you know, in many countries, you know, so
    much of the argument is this is about Western ideas being
    imported to poison society and destroy your way of life. So we
    are very sensitive on the way we do it and we want to be smart
    about it. But what kinds of things can the U.S. Congress do to
    help support LGBTQI+ equality in places where you live and work
    right now?
        Bjorn, I think you are on----
        Mr. Van Roozendaal. Sorry. If I can comment there, I think
    that legally in these and when we look at Europe, a lot of
    progress has been made and some of you have said it earlier.
    There is--there is a limited amount of work that is possible in
    that space, albeit it continues to be important, of course, to
    address situations like in Hungary, like in Russia.
        I think beyond that what is important is that we--that we
    look at how hearts and minds can be won. And in order for that
    to happen, I think what needs to happen is, first,
    strengthening joint political commitment between countries and
    that is where a lot of work needs to happen.
        And then I think also in doing that, looking at what kind
    of programming can happen across both sides of the Atlantic
    that supports the work that LGBTQI movements are doing in
    winning hearts and minds and there I think the Global Equality
    Fund has played a very detrimental role already but its
    contribution to the work is still, yes, compared to with other
    countries who I think limited.
        So continuing to grow that and not just by the work that
    the State Department is doing but also the work that USAID is
    doing I think is important and within it also paying attention
    to the work that happens in places in Europe.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you so much.
        Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative.
        The chair recognizes Representative Titus for her
    questions.
        Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for
    holding this hearing. It has been a long time since the Foreign
    Affairs Committee addressed this topic, and I think it is a
    crying shame that our colleagues from across the aisle couldn't
    find the time or have the concern to join us to hear about this
    issue.
        I appreciate everything the witnesses have been saying and,
    as they may or may not know, we have just recently introduced
    the GLOBE Act to try to restore the U.S.'s leadership position
    in this area and so I hope that we will see some movement on
    that and have the State Department again start to take the
    lead.
        We have also seen that COVID has made situations worse for
    groups that have traditionally, I guess, been discriminated
    against already. I wonder if you-all might address if you've
    seen any of the restrictions because of COVID been
    disproportionately applied to your community.
        Mr. Dombos. Yes, clearly. Of course, I think all of the
    political developments that have been happening I think are
    also in the context of COVID, as I mentioned, but it has also
    direct impact on people. People were not able to access HIV
    testing. They were not able to access medication. Transgender
    surgeries or hormonal treatments were canceled because of
    COVID. Many LGBTQI people had to move back to their families'
    home, families that are not necessarily supportive of them.
    This often put people in danger of domestic abuse on behalf
    their parents or their siblings. Many people lost their jobs
    because of COVID and many LGBTQI people work already in
    informal sectors and then they get no protection whatsoever. So
    I think it is true that we are among one of the biggest losers
    of the COVID crisis. Thanks.
        Dr. Emson. If I may add to this, so last year one of the
    leaders of the Ukrainian church, orthodox church, he declared
    that COVID happened because of gay people, just for you to see,
    you know.
        Well, and I would support my colleague from Hungary
    because, like, many people lost their jobs and many people need
    more support right now and specifically people with HIV
    positive status, right, because they really need more support
    and we need more testing and we need more support for this
    group. Right? And in terms of the LGBTQI rights, the situation
    is worsening as well because the government just used COVID in
    crisis as an excuse, right, from banning us from advocating our
    rights, right on the spot. Thank you.
        Mr. van Roozendaal. I have seen across the region that
    LGBTI groups have started to increase the kind of service
    proficient, service proficient that they do toward the LGBTI
    community, providing food, shelter, medical support in places
    with respect governments were hugely absent in providing the
    kind of services that LGBTQI people need. So I can say that in
    most places unfortunately governments have not met the space to
    think about the specific needs that the LGBTI community may
    need.
        And so at the time of global backlash, I think it is fair
    to say that LGBTI organizations have not only been overwhelmed
    at this point to the backlash but also stepped up the ways in
    which they have to take care of the community and how that is
    affecting LGBTI organizations is hugely important to name as
    well because we see, unfortunately, a lot of cases of burnout
    while being issues with human rights defenders who simply have
    too many things to work on, on an everyday basis.
        But you compare and it is just to put a number to it and
    you compare the level of funding between North America and
    Europe, we are at 1/10 of the amount of funding that is going
    around in the LGBTI movement in this region compared to our
    colleagues in the U.S. and Canada. So you can imagine that
    there is a situation of significant under-resourcing which
    really affects some activists in the movement at the moment as
    a result.
        Ms. Titus. I am sure that is true. Not only is the problem
    worse but the strain on the agencies trying to deal with the
    problem outside of government must be so great.
        Well, right now our President is traveling in Europe and is
    announcing that he is going to have an international vaccine
    plan.
        So, Mr. Chairman, maybe we can send a letter, encouraging
    him where he distribute this vaccine to our allies, that we are
    sure that all community are included, especially LGBTQ
    communities.
        Thank you, and I will wait until the next round for another
    question.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative. That is a great
    suggestion, and I appreciate that. Now we will just quickly
    have a second round of questions, if we could.
        I am just curious as we are talking about the control of
    the media, when we are talking about the way it is being
    manipulated. When instances occur--in our own country, we have
    instances of discrimination that make the press. Is that used
    at all, you know, by these other authoritarian countries where
    they highlight this is occurring in the U.S. or other
    democratic countries? Do you see that occurring at all as part
    of the media control and newspaper control? Anyone that might
    have seen that.
        Mr. Dombos. Yes. I think this mapping of, you know,
    homosexuality or LGBTQI activity as, you know, coming from the
    West is very common. But I think it is--at least in the case of
    Hungary, you have to understand that Hungarians are very pro-
    Western in their attitudes. If you look at the public opinion
    polls about support for European Union membership or trust in
    EU institutions, the trust is way, way higher in EU
    institutions, in European institutions, than it is in the
    Hungarian--the local Hungarian government.
        So I think it is very important to understand that yes,
    there is that, but that should not debilitate making a clear
    point about LGBTQI community.
        And I think it is also very important to emphasize that,
    unfortunately, much of the conservative kind of family values,
    gender ideology discourse is coming from the U.S., and it is
    sponsored by United States bodies, evangelical churches, clear
    conservative groups that are losing out in their own country,
    and they export their homophobic and transphobic views in other
    countries.
        We have seen this all over the world in the past 2 decades,
    in African countries, and it is currently happening in Hungary.
    I mean, our homophobic Minister of Family Affairs is regularly
    attending these meetings with U.S. evangelicals as well as with
    Russian, you know, strategists that are trying to build_on an
    international level_a coalition of conservative, family
    oriented countries and groups. And then, of course, they impact
    how policies and decisions are made in Hungary.
        Mr. Keating. Well, you know, thanks for that comment
    because I think it really underscores the importance of our
    committee having this hearing and the fact that this is an
    international issue and not just a domestic issue. I think
    there is--part of authoritarianism is the idea that, you know,
    they are closed to other borders, they make their own
    decisions, they have their own, but this is truly
    international.
        And you mentioned Hungary again. You know, the poll is--you
    know, the polls taken there are quite clear, very high, 79, 80
    percent of the people believe these issues are private matters,
    but still, you know, Orban is able to do what he is doing. How
    is he getting away with manipulating that with such a strong
    population in support of keeping this a private human rights
    issue?
        Mr. Dombos. I think the reason is that they are very
    professional in polling people and finding issues where you
    have slightly less support, so that is why they picked on
    transgender people. That is why they picked on adoption issue.
    That is why they are picking up on school education now because
    those are the topics that many Hungarians feel a bit less
    secure about and more uncomfortable about.
        And, also, those issues are very often, unfortunately, the
    ones which are not covered by the European Union law, so they
    are, you know, freer to venture into those areas. And, you
    know, they do not have to convince every single Hungarian.
        They only have to convince those very loyal supporters that
    they need to take to the polls, and that is how they are
    working. They know, you know, each and every person, basically,
    that votes for them. And they target them, micro target them
    with very clear messages that resonate with what they think
    about the world. And, unfortunately, with some of the--with
    some groups in society, this kind of homophobia and transphobia
    resonates very well with their fears.
        Mr. Keating. Are you finding--and this is for any of the
    panel. You know, we have talked a great deal about the free
    speech, freedom of assembly, the ability to speak up, those
    type of freedoms too. But are you seeing in these countries
    where this kind of repression is occurring, issues like housing
    and employment being affected too? I mean, our Equality Act
    that we are passing here protects housing issues, employment
    issues, issues of getting loans and financing, but are you
    seeing housing? What other areas are you seeing this
    discrimination really spread to?
        Dr. Emson. Do I still have time?
        Mr. Keating. Yes. Oh, yes.
        Dr. Emson. Yes. Okay. If I may, I would sort of point out
    that housing is a big issue for LGBTQI people in Ukraine
    specifically like I believe in other countries in the region
    because people, in order to rent a house or a flat, right, they
    need to hide themselves, right. We cannot be visible. We cannot
    be open. If you are open, you stand no chance for getting rent
    or getting apartment. It is a big problem because the
    legislation does not mention any discriminated groups in terms
    of protecting their rights for housing or for food or for
    employment, right.
        We do not have this in our legislation, and, unfortunately,
    this really affects LGBTQI people in the country.
        Mr. Keating. Any other comments in that regard? Go ahead. I
    am sorry.
        Mr. van Roozendaal. I am sorry. No. There is an increasing
    body of research around homelessness in particular amongst
    LGBTI young people in the region, and unfortunately, the
    numbers that are coming in have very stark similarities between
    what we see in the U.S. So there are huge instances of
    homelessness amongst young people who often can no longer stay
    with their parents and then sleep rough because they have no
    place to go to.
        In the field of employment, I would say the European Union
    and its 27 member States have laws, anti-discrimination laws to
    employment, but the implementation there often fails. And in
    too many neighboring countries, that is not the case. And so
    what we see is also in recent years that the growing number of
    LGBTQ community members needs to turn to litigation to get
    their rights recognized in also a lot of the council of Europe
    countries.
        So this is a huge body of work I think in the field of
    socioeconomic rights where yet a lot of needs are there, but
    also a lot of, I think, opportunities for the LGBTI movement to
    work on.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you.
        Representative Cicilline.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Ms. Zakharova, I hope I pronounced it correctly, the
    Russian Federation is obviously a global leader in the
    persecution of LGBTQI+ persons and persuades Nations and
    individuals within its sphere of influence to adopt their
    hateful doctrine as their own. Activists face violence and
    detention.
        Vladimir Putin regularly articulates his disdain not just
    for equality but the LGBTQI community in Russia but for human
    rights in general. And the Russian government, as you know, has
    failed to adequately address targeted criminal acts against
    Russia's LGBTQI community.
        My question is in that context, what role does social media
    and enhanced tech monitoring play in anti-LGBTQI harassment and
    violence, both by private citizens and by national and
    regionally governments like those in Chechnya?
        Ms. Zakharova. Well, thank you for this question. And I
    would say that social networks and technologies is a double-
    sided thing because on the one hand, it is a source--for many
    people, it is a source of information, especially for many
    young people. And I can see how young people in Russia are
    different from us. For instance, like several years ago there
    was a public poll opinion, and more than 50 percent of school
    children, people who are basically targeted by this propaganda
    law said that they support same sex marriages. But at the same
    time, of course, quite often, the same networks are used
    against LGBT+ communities, especially in such close communities
    and in Chechnya where people, like, literally cannot be open.
    It is dangerous. It threatens their lives.
        And, of course, authorities, local authorities use their
    vulnerability. And--well, it is something that is happening,
    and I think that probably international business should pay
    more attention to security in such countries like Russia,
    especially such regions as Chechnya.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you.
        Dr. Emson, you know, I think a lot of people are watching
    with some concern that in Ukraine, the ultra conservative far
    right is retaining a lot of influence and a lot of power,
    risking not only the rights of LGBTQI people but also Ukraine's
    democratic future.
        And it has been reported that anti-LGBTQI+ legislation,
    including legislation introduced by members of President
    Zelensky's own party, has been circulated in Ukraine that
    closely resembles initiatives either introduced or enacted in
    Russia. And I wonder how much influence does Russian have over
    the debate for LGBTQI+ people in Ukraine and what you see the
    prospects for that law.
        Dr. Emson. Thank you very much for those questions because
    this is a very important issue as well. Right now, it is
    Russian influence, right.
        So since 2012, right, we have experienced those efforts of
    different political parties to introduce the gay propaganda law
    in Ukraine, right. And last year and we know that some MPs are
    getting ready to introduce it again and again, and we know that
    political parties are standing behind those efforts.
        And, moreover, it is not only about the legislation. It is
    about the far right groups that we believe are partly financed
    by the Russian government or the Russian security forces, and
    they train these groups. And they really put a lot of effort in
    erasing these groups inside Ukraine. And homophobia and
    transphobia is a big issue because of this Russian influence.
        And young people right now in Ukraine, some of them are
    really under this influence, and we are afraid that this
    influence is growing. Unfortunately, this is very big. This is
    not only the Ukranian government war and peace, right. This is
    the propaganda that goes from all sources like media, like
    social media, like money that really spread into these far
    right groups growing.
        Mr. Cicilline. Yes. I will just get in one quick question,
    Mr. Dombos. When you were talking about using particular issues
    like the transgender community adoption and school issues, we
    see the same things in the United States for organizations that
    are opposing our fight for full equality.
        I wonder if you could just speak a little more about the
    role of U.S. groups and these evangelical groups because I
    think this is really alarming, you know. We are always accused
    of exporting, you know, tolerance for the LGBTQ community and
    acceptance, and what you are saying is just the opposite. The
    U.S. is exporting some pretty--you know, some organizations
    that are promoting undermining equality for our community, and
    I think we need to know more about that.
        Mr. Dombos. Exactly. The World Congress of Families, for
    example, which is a hate group recognized by the Southern
    Poverty Law Center, they are--you know, they have done several
    conferences in Hungary. They are inviting, you know, public
    speakers.
        You know, they try to sound as like support for family
    values, but it is very clearly an anti-LGBT rights and an anti-
    women's rights, anti-sexual and reproductive health rights
    coalition that is putting a lot of effort, money, and know-how
    as well in how to do this, what topics to look at, what--how to
    frame topics.
        And I think that, of course, the reason why they are so
    similar is partly because, you know, humans all over the world
    have similar fears. They are afraid for their children, you
    know.
        They want the best for their children. So if they are
    telling them that, oh, these monster trans freaks are going to
    turn your child into a trans person that you will never
    recognize, and you will lose your son or lose your daughter,
    then people resonate with this.
        But it is also not just this, you know, basic human
    mentality but also, you know, very clear networks that are
    being put in place.
        And policy learning, unfortunately, is taking place in its
    worst way. We see amendments to the Hungarian Constitution
    popping up in other countries. We see the propaganda law
    introduced in Hungary, copying Russia. Unfortunately, there is
    policy learning among these countries to the worse.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you so much.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative.
        Now I will recognize for the final questions the chief
    sponsor of the GLOBE Act, Representative Titus.
        Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        If you look back at the history of LGBT rights in this
    country, you find that much of that started at the State level.
    The Congress was late to get on board. We Had initiatives at
    the State level. State legislatures passed equality laws or
    marriage laws. And then when they reached a tipping point,
    Congress came on board.
        I realize that you all do not have the same kind of Federal
    system or maybe even referenda or initiatives like we do here,
    but have you had any luck at trying to deal with lower levels
    of governments like communities or States or regions, working
    your way up to the national level? Is that a possibility where
    you all are?
        Ms. Zakharova. Can I start answering this question? I think
    that in Russia, the political process is quite different. There
    is only one ruling party, and basically there is no way, you
    know, to work with someone because local authorities are afraid
    of the central authorities, and they are just trying to do
    everything to please them. So I think that we have very
    specific situation where society is actually quite progressive,
    and authorities are very, very conservative. And they are
    trying to impose those conservative views onto all society, and
    there is this battle. Thank you.
        Dr. Emson. I would add on the Ukranian side and say in
    Ukraine, we had, like, some friendly politicians and MPs that
    would help us. This is a very interesting phenomenon. They
    would get bullied in the parliament. Literally, their
    colleagues would blame them for all sorts of things just
    because they support LGBTI people. And in this situation, it is
    very hard for us to really advocate and lobby the legislation
    that we need right now.
        Mr. van Roozendaal. I would like to add to that, mention to
    that, because it is an intriguing question. I would like to tie
    it into the previous question on the opposition in that where
    we do see a lot of success often at the local level, it is not
    necessarily when it is political as [] Lenny and Svetlana have
    described but when it comes to looking at building other kinds
    of coalitions.
        So where can LGBTI activists build alliances with doctors,
    with journalists, with teachers, with any kind of professionals
    who want to exercise their profession in ethical and moral,
    morally high standards. And, there, often we see that a lot of
    change is possible when we do not only focus on the political
    and legal process.
        And I think that recognizing that kind of important local
    work is important, and I would like to tie it into the
    opposition work because it is essentially also about alliance
    building. And Tamas just mentioned that a lot of the opposition
    is not just targeting the LGBTI movement but also the sexual
    rights movement and the women's rights movement, and that is
    true.
        And I think what is important in ways in which we support
    activists who are working on sexual rights, on women's rights
    or LGBTI rights is to consider how we bring groups together,
    not just only on those fronts but also with mainstream human
    rights organizations and those that stands up to defend
    democracy. This is often where LGBTI activists need the time,
    the resources to build the connections.
        So recognizing when it comes to funding the importance of
    alliance building is extremely important, and I think the ways
    in which you can all support that work is also looking out for
    opportunities in which embassies can be bringing people
    together and which you, as representatives, can bring in
    different kinds of allies together and help to work toward
    larger democratic agendas.
        Ms. Titus. You are right. Coalition building is so
    important, and we often find you put together a group of
    organizations on the liberal end of the political spectrum.
    They do not just have to be human rights. You might find allies
    in the environmental community, for example. I do not know if
    you have seen that, but we certainly see that here. Or the
    labor movement,]or--you know, it just depends. That is great.
        Just briefly, Mr. Chairman, I wanted to ask about Turkey.
    In the last century, Turkey was seen as kind of a standard
    bearer for protecting LGBT rights and protecting them from the
    other countries in the neighborhood. But under Erdogan in the
    last 10 years, they have gotten much more repressive. I wonder
    if you have any suggestions on what the U.S. Can do in dealing
    with Turkey that might address this problem.
        Mr. van Roozendaal. Yes. Unfortunately, Turkey is also
    looking at putting its playbook in many ways increasingly in
    recent times, and I would almost answer the same things.
    Because when you look at how the movement currently is under
    attack, it is in the field of freedom of expression, in freedom
    of assembly.
        All the things that have been mentioned during this hearing
    are affecting the community at the moment in that online spaces
    are increasingly no longer safe.
        So I think what is extremely important is to raise these
    issues by letter but very carefully and very respectfully
    because Erdogan, in kind of defending his political territory
    at the moment, is really using the narrative of western values
    very much. So I think it is important that when the issue is
    brought up, that it is brought up as an issue that is about
    freedom of expression, that it is about defending democracy,
    that it is about defending pluralism.
        And we see in the run up to the elections that will take
    place in Turkey in 2 years that Erdogan is losing popularity.
    So the question is really what is going to happen around those
    elections, and what work can be done on the ground in building
    kind of a broader political agenda that is looking at different
    sets of value. So supporting broad civil society initiatives of
    which the LGBTI movement is a part, I think is one of the
    critical factors of success at the moment.
        Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I yield back.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Representative.
        I would like to thank Mr. van Roozendaal. I would like to
    thank Dr. Emson and Ms. Zakharova as well as Mr. Dombos for
    your excellent testimony here today. It is not just your
    testimony but the courage that you have given speaking up. You
    are speaking up, in many instances, in territories where it is
    very difficult to speak up. It is very difficult to come
    forward, and I want to let you know this committee appreciates
    your efforts but also your courage doing this. This is so
    important.
        I also would like to ask you, since this came up as a
    subject matter in today's testimony, if you have any more
    specific suggested language you could add, we would like to
    move forward with Representative Titus' suggestion that we
    contact the White House and make sure with the distribution of
    vaccines, as we export that assistance, that it is done in an
    inclusive way so that groups like the LGBTQI+ community are not
    excluded from having these life-saving vaccines. I think that
    is very important as well.
        And I do want, I do hope that all of you as witnesses
    appreciate the members that participated here today. I think if
    you check back on important legislation and advocacy, you are
    going to find that people who participated here are among the
    leaders in Congress in pushing forward protections for these
    very basic human rights. So I want to thank the members who are
    participating as well today.
        So with that, I just would say that a little bit of
    housekeeping. The members of the committee will have 5 days to
    submit statements, extraneous materials, and questions for the
    record subject to the limitation on rules.
        Again, I want to thank everyone for participating. This
    was, indeed, a very important, if not historic congressional
    committee hearing today, and I think it will continue to break
    ground so that there is more attention to the global impact of
    this kind of discrimination. So, with that, I will call the
    hearing adjourned. Thank you all.
        [Whereupon, at 12:25 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

                                    APPENDIX

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