QUEERFEST

Being true to yourself, being real despite all the existing stereotypes is becoming a rare kind of art. "Queerfest" opens its space for artists and audience, inviting everybody to think about who we are and why it is difficult for us to be ourselves.

We stand for freedom of expression, for diversity of gender and gender self-awareness. These are our exact values that are fundamental for our festival conception and our motto: art of being yourself.

The main aim of the festival is to support everyone's right to be themselves regardless of sexuality and/or gender identity.

WHAT IS QUEER?

Into Russian it can be translated as "weird" or "unusual".

Nowadays this term can be understood as "existing outside of gender stereotypes" in the wildest sense. Thus the notion of "queer" can be related both to LGBT people and to everyone else who is striving to break out of the tight limits of stereotypes and become someone who they feel to be.

Queer is an anti-stigma and absence of labels.

People in our world have the right to take part in raising children, choose any professions, perform music and arts, be engaged in politics and civil activism regardless of their gender. However, the limits of "normal" are getting tighter in Russia, which means that remaining yourself is getting harder. We all, in one way or another, have to deal with stereotypes and with the fact that we do not meet the expectations of our relatives, friends and colleagues. Everyone of us work their own way in their lives and find their personal identity differently.