Preface to issue 2

Andriy Maymulakhin

Preface to issue 2

As we commented in our premier issue, the most important part of "Information and Education on the Matter of Homosexuality as the Aspect of Democratization of the Society" in the Ukraine is to make "OUR WORLD" as accessible as possible. To accomplish this, we distributed the magazine free-of-charge to libraries, the mass media, and gay/lesbian groups. Looking at the results of this method of distribution, we have arrived at the following conclusions:

Regional universal scientific libraries (popular libraries) have shown a surprising interest for a first issue for the beginning on our point of view (of 25 have subscribed five: Zakarpatye, Lugansk, Poltava, Kherson, Chernovtsy). We were confirmed that the magazine is being made available to their readers.

Unfortunately there are not enough positive answers from libraries of pedagogical and medical universities, and regional libraries for youth.

It is necessary for future teachers and medical workers to understand all displays of human essence, where sexuality, most likely, is a fundamental aspect. We also hope, that libraries for youth will be more open to the information about sexuality (homosexuality, in particular). Juveniles are realizing who they are as a person, thus attaining knowledge with regard to that. When one takes into account the absence of qualitative sexual education in our country, and the information chaos and bias just with regard to the theme of homosexuality in popular channels of information, to give young latent homosexuals (whom early or late still will become gays and lesbians!) material in a serious and age-appropriate form would help them to pass through the process of acceptance of their sexual orientation and social adaptation less painfully.

Alas, for today national libraries, university libraries, and regional medical facilities have not displayed interest in our journal.

We have reached 7% of the libraries we premiered. Our World will continue to do all that is possible to further promote Our World in "temples of science". However, for more rational use of our resources we will be correcting our distribution list.

The magazine has appeared absolutely unclaimed by the mass media. From the 81 media firms that received the premier issue, only one has responded, the "Ukraine young". However, from what we can see, no domestic newspapers or magazines, national or local, would prevent including our information in their data bank, alas, which could provide basic knowledge to many journalists.

Also we are not yet satisfied with our distribution results in the gay environment. Our World struggles with the difficulty of learning the addresses of existing groups and working activists. We plan to expand this list in the future.

It pleases us that the magazine in some cases had dispersed in absolutely unpredictable ways. As we were told, it "went on hands" on brewery No 1 of Kiev!