We are the LGBTQ+ group "Coming Out"
We protect LGBTQ+ rights and help queer people feel safer in Russia and EECA region.
Our main goal is to help LGBTQ+ people in Russia and EECA region to live normal, safe, and dignified lives — institutionally and socially. We have been working towards it since 2008.
Why do LGBTQ+ people need help?
Being an LGBTQ+ person today is a catch-22.
Queer people regularly encounter discrimination and bigotry almost everywhere: at their workplace, in their studies, when renting, at home, and while seeking medical care.
The police and the court, created to protect people, in reality, do just the opposite, dismissing formal complaints about discrimination. The “LGBTQ+ propaganda ban” legislation hinders our attempts to voice our concerns. Other Russian laws do not protect LGBTQ+ but sow hatred and aggression in society.
Our government does not only persecute people: human rights initiatives as well as small businesses face censorship and pressure from authorities and security agencies.
What we do:
We support
by offering free legal, psychological, and career consultations. In Russia, finding a specialist who is both competent and safe for LGBTQ+ people is hard — and no one should have to face crisis alone.
We raise awareness
by producing materials for the LGBTQ+ community, challenging homophobia and transphobia in Russian public life, and growing international solidarity. From explainers and campaigns to media outreach, we work to make queer lives in Russia more visible and better understood.
We protect
by helping people navigate legal risks and protect their rights. We provide legal consultations and support court cases by advising both affected people and lawyers on how to approach LGBTQ+ cases safely and strategically.
We have Helped: Beneficiaries' Stories
Ksander: Discovering Himself at 44
Ksander lived “right”—gold medal, university, marriage, child—but felt miserable, suppressing his trans identity. Inner transphobia kept him trapped until ComingOut’s psychologist asked, “Why is that impossible?” He researched, accepted himself, and felt delight. “It was a coming out from myself,” he says. Our support groups, peer counseling, and legal advice gave him security. Though family and husband struggle, Ksander found purpose. “ComingOut gave me myself—the most valuable thing,” he shares. At 44, he’s living authentically. Thanks to you, late-blooming trans journeys like Ksander’s become possible.
Slava: Escaping Darkness to Embrace Herself
Slava grew up in a small town as the “good boy,” marrying and working to fit in—until dysphoria and depression crushed her. Local psychiatrists dismissed her, sending her to church. In Moscow, she faced more abuse. Desperate, she found ComingOut, got counseling, and moved to St. Petersburg. With our peer support and lawyers, she changed her legal gender marker. “Before ComingOut, I lived in total darkness,” Slava says. “They lifted me up and showed life without pain is possible.” Now she consults our lawyers regularly and dreams of activism. Donations like yours light the way for trans people like Slava.
17 Years of "Coming Out":
17 070
psychological sessions
3 723
legal consultations
676
career guidance sessions
840
peer support sessions for transgender people
15
QueerFests
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