By the words of the same participant of the conference, the first day of its work reminded very much a Komsomol (Young Communist League) meeting, where the representatives of medical organizations carried out the role of the Party and the others - youth from regions. The second day was already less official, and the delegates, tired after sleepless night, continued acquaintances and looked through the foreign porno magazines right in session hall. On his opinion then in Kiev have been gathered the rather different people, many of whom were not active workers of the movement.

It was supposed that the Association will exist on member payments and also on the donations, in particular, that it will render the material help of "Dva koliory" ("Two colors") - a commercial organization, having called itself an individual initiative of homosexuals of Ukraine. For example, "Dva koliory" have paid rent of a place for realization of the Constituent Congress. Let's note also that by the words of one of the observers, just this organization represented of Ukrainian gays abroad.

In July of the same year in the building of Republican Planetarium the Constituent Congress of All-Ukrainian Association "Ganimed" has passed. For registration of organization with the All-Ukrainian status there were assembled the protocols of meetings of groups from 18 regions. However, according to some data, not all signatures in them had appeared genuine. For example, we know that on the protocol from Lugansk Region only three from ten signatures were real.

The delegates of the Constituent Congress have accepted the Charter of organization. Comparing its primary project, submitted to a 1st initiative conference and the current Charter, we should note striking differences. In the first variant of the project the organization was called "Association of lesbians and gays of Ukraine " and was characterized as "public right-protecting organization, which overall goal is the achievement of equal opportunities for self-expression of all the people, irrespectively of their sexual orientation". In the project of the Charter, the activity of organization was focused on studying of problems of homosexualism; changing of public opinion concerning the people of homosexual orientation; struggle against prejudices in a life; social and psychological adaptation of gays and lesbians. Also it paid attention to a problem of AIDS. In the actual Charter of organization the right-defensive activity is practically completely lost, the words "gays" and "lesbians" are not mentioned at all, and AIDS has passed on the first place.

The association "Ganimed" was registered in Ministry of Justice on May 13, 1994. In the registration certificate in the column "Basic purpose of activity" there is written: "a help for health institutions and cultural establishments for realization of an effective propagation of healthy lifestyle among groups of risk directed on the prevention of AIDS and other diseases, protection of lawful social, economic and other common interests".

In registration the large help was rendered by National Committee on Contest to Disease of AIDS, in particular there has been given the legal address for new organization. Analyzing this information as well as that problem of AIDS in the program of Association was given much more place in comparison with struggle for the social rights for homosexuals, and the political activity was at all forbidden by the Charter, we come to a conclusion that the creation of "Ganimed" has become on benefit first of all to official medical structures ("work with group of risk"), and has not brought necessary joining of gays and lesbians in Ukraine as it was mentioned in the beginning. It confirms also by the fact that the constituent materials, which were necessary for registration of divisions of the organization in regions, were dispatched in a local AIDS-centers, instead of gay leaders. Our question - why it was made just so - has answered by L. Taranenko, one of two co-chairpersons of "Ganimed": "The leaders should have communicated with AIDS-centers". She also has emphasized, that on that moment it was only possible way to create the organization - "through AIDS. No other way we would have been recognized. AntiAIDS organizations have a great weight and they cannot be thrown away".

Now, seeing a situation after three years, it is possible unequivocally to declare that such roll has not justified at all itself. Gays did not come to cooperation with medical organizations, the documents for registration have remained dusting in the AIDS-centers. For this time only the Kiev Branch of the Association was registered (in 1996), i.e. the organization has not confirmed the status All-Ukrainian.

Practically from the very beginning there were disagreements in a managing body of organization. As far as we have understood a situation, the obvious reasons were various interpretation of the purposes and tasks. In 1994 L. Taranenko gave an interview to "Interesnaya Gazeta" ("Interesting Newspaper") and to "Rabochaya Gazeta" ("Workers Newspaper"), in which there was told that the activity of "Ganimed" is accented at work with sexual minority, by that added oil in fire. Other member of Coordination Council Inna Smolnikova, for example, in interview to the same "Rabochaya Gazeta" tells: "The work with the people of untraditional sexual orientation - a very small part of that huge activity on preventive maintenance of AIDS and other dangerous diseases which our association is carrying out". As a result of these disagreements in the beginning of 1995 7 of 9 members of Coordination Council have submitted to a resignation. For today in a management of "Ganimed" have remained only two co- chairpersons.

The following impact to prestige of the organization has put a failure of IX Regional Conferences of International Association of Gays and Lesbians (ILGA) for the countries of East, Central and South-East Europe, which passed in Kiev in May, 1995. It is one of the large dark spots in the history of the development of a gay movement in Ukraine.

Under the information from ILGA, about ten thousand dollars - part of those intended for realization of the conference - were stolen by the organizers from the Ukrainian party. On words of Ms. Taranenko, "Ganimed", though took part in organization of a conference, however "had not any relation to money". However we, from our side, would like to emphasize that we do not undertake to affirm anything unequivocally in this question, taking into account that we did not see the financial documents of the conference.

The fact is that a failure of this measure has extremely negatively affected the attitude of world gay community to Ukraine as a whole, has deprived "Ganimed" opportunities to conduct work contacts "with related organizations both abroad and in Ukraine" (L. Taranenko, "Odyn z nas" ("One of Us" gay magazine), No. 2). "After the conference's failure even the AntiAIDS bodies in Ukraine had problems in international scale" - tells Ms. Taranenko.

Nevertheless for today there continues to work a Kiev cell of "Ganimed". On words its chief Lilia Taranenko, 47 persons are members of this organization. She told us about the strategic plans, which consistently cover some spheres of activity. On the first place there was a creation of a medical center consisting of the experts (psychologist, dermatovenerologist, urologist, etc.), who cooperate with "Ganimed" and free-of-charge serve its members. A help is rendered also to other people, addressed to the Kiev cell from various regions of Ukraine. For example, on reception to the psychologist each week come about two persons.

The second business was sphere of entertainment for gays. In the spring of this year "Ganimed" has concluded the contract with Kiev joint-stock company "Hydropark" about creation on the basis of its "Green Theater" a club "Illusion". Under our information, confirmed by the various people, at a cinema of this club there show films which are usually called pornographic. However, two checks of the 6th Department of Security Service of Ukraine, having been carried out for last couple of months, have not revealed any infringements. Daytime sessions (entrance ticket costs 3 grivnas (close to USD 1.5) and for the members "Ganimed" - free) - films of heterosexual subjects, evening - homosexual (on words the film-mechanic mostly French director J.-D. Cadino); before film there is always shown a block of AntiAIDS propagation. This cinema hall used to work before the relations between "Hydropark" and "Ganimed" were made out. On words of the film-mechanic, the contract has appeared mutually beneficial and "it has accepted the more civilized forms ". He also has told that on gay sessions usually come from five up to ten persons and, as a rule, permanent public; any incidents during work of a cinema hall did not occur.

Besides above said, "Ganimed" "has killed also a second bird" by having an opportunity to use a hall of "Green theater" on 80 places in daytime for realization of lectures and other gatherings. The same medical workers are invited to these lectures. On words L. Taranenko, at such gatherings there would be up to 50 persons.

Gatherings also are carrying out in the other place which we not name at the request of the chief of Kiev "Ganimed". 1st Sunday of each month is given up to transsexuals. A person addressing to "Ganimed" on a transsexuality will find support at those who have similar problems but already have experience of their decision and can give "the correct recommendations" (that called "the group of support" in western psychological practice). Also "Ganimed" will help to them to communicate with the experts. However on words of the person accepting active participation in this work, after last half-year on this problem have addressed only about 10 persons. Also addresses of lesbians are rather seldom, whom 3rd Sundays of month are allocated with.

2nd and 4th Sundays are at disposal of gays. Thus sometimes on meetings there come the people also from other regions of Ukraine. "If there are free condoms, gels, these all are being distributed together with AntiAIDS literature at these meetings" - tells L. Taranenko (L.T.). The flow of calls in the organization has increased from the moment of the publication of the information about "Ganimed" in 1st and 2nd numbers of the magazine "Odyn z nas".

During the work the organization has adjusted contacts to various medical structures, state and public organizations and has benefit from it. So, for example, representation of the UN in Ukraine has allocated the e-mail address for "Ganimed". In the further plans of "Ganimed" - to adjust cooperation with law- enforcement bodies and educational sphere with the purpose of "mutual adaptation of homo- and heteropopulation" (L.T.).

Amongst the realized plans also it should be noted a participation of 7 of the "Ganimed" members at school of volunteers of the UN development program "We with You" (in the project also take part National Committee on Preventive Maintenance of Drug Addiction and AIDS, Ukrainian Center of Preventive Maintenance and Contest to AIDS, Social Service for Youth of Kiev State Administration). After five-monthly training, these volunteers obtained certificates which give them a right "to give advisory help to people who live with HIV/AIDS, their relatives and close to them to carry out an AntiAIDS work ". The problem of AIDS has remained today for "Ganimed" in the foreground" (L. Taranenko, "Odyn z nas", No. 2).

By L. Taranenko words, "Ganimed" also works with mothers of gays. She tells that "basically gays have horrible relationships with their parents, but there are such mothers who help "Ganimed" and help other mothers "to accept a homosexuality of the sons".

Despite all these obvious successes, the organization is in hard and, we would say, shaky situation. The problem is that last checking of public organizations in Ministry of Justice has shown that the All-Ukrainian Association "Ganimed" does not correspond to its status, since the necessary number of the branches is not registered in the regions of Ukraine. According to Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine "About Associations of the Citizens", reorganization or liquidation of public organization is carried out according to its Charter, and in the Charter of "Ganimed" such right is given only to congress. The organization also can be abolished by decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine according to Article 32 of the Law, however in the listed items of this Article there is not considered the situations which has developed around the Association. So closed circle was formed in this case.

Now this question is examined in Ministry of Justice and, on the data of Lilia Taranenko, is to be decided approximately in one month. The leader of Kiev group hopes that her cell will be the assignee of "Ganimed", keeping the same name. We also hope that Ministry of Justice will not to get a very close grasp of the Charter of nonexistent All-Ukrainian Association and will see really working Kiev organization.

We also have communicated with the second co-chairperson of the Association Leonid Nefedovich, but as he said, he, remaining nominally on a post, actually had departed deals of the Association already about two years ago and not in a rate of occurring now inside it events. On our question would he like to renew a work in "Ganimed", he answered: "Only in case if sane people will come in its management. With those who now operates the organization, I shall not cooperate".

That we said about "Ganimed" will not be completed if we shall not note in the article the person of Lilia Taranenko herself, taking into account that for today the basic work in the organization is conducted personally by her. Ms. L. Taranenko began her activity in gay community as far back as the beginning of 90-th years, when, by her words, she "used to go in places of gay cruising - man rooms - with the purpose to study a life of queers". Since then she faced many difficulties, was under militia view, the searches were carried out in her apartment, and surface of her apartment's entrance door "is cut up by evil- wishes".

As the person knowing close her life and work says: "Lilia is a leader, solely deciding all the questions. And it is a fact". On his words, she was made such with a failure of ILGA conference, when many people "pulled a blanket to themselves". Since then she cannot and is afraid to find assistants, being afraid that they will be dishonest and will aspire to a profit. Another person marks the energy of Ms. L. Taranenko, but at the same time the absence of skill to work with other people". She is afraid very much that someone will create another organization in Ukraine".

L. Taranenko preaches socialist ideas very enthusiastically. "I stand for democracy on a socialist basis... I have created a socialist asylum for gays in my apartment... I have some against the businessmen" - she says. "Lilia is the absolutely disinterested person by a nature" - confirms another our interlocutor.

L. Taranenko says that "sex-minorities cannot do anything for themselves, they do not have the leaders" and "if you'd less fuck in bushes and be engaged in pornography, the society would be disposed better to you!"

In the end of the article we would like to state our sight on organization of sexual minority and its front of activity from the ideal point of view.

In 1993, when "Ganimed" was being formed, there was a rise of social activity in homosexual community as well as in a society as a whole. But, unfortunately, it was a crest of a wave, and since then national enthusiasm was sharply lowered. The absolute majority of gays continue to be content with very little, do not realize themselves as gays and lesbians in a social aspect, do not feel the community, are absolutely isolated, i.e. there is no gay community, and therefore separately they are in downtrodden and hunted situation. So for this reason the uniting efforts are necessary. They can and should be various: acquaintance services, gay commercial rest places, gay literature, both entertaining and rights-protecting character, and also public organizations.

The purpose of activity of such organizations should first of all be the social and political work - work with mass media, bodies of authority on both state and local level, the obligatory legal support for any homosexual in case of discrimination etc. As the minor moment it is possible to carry out medical work too, though it is a task for medical, dermatovenerological, AntiAIDS and the other qualified structures. While we still connect ourselves with medical questions, society will look at us as the patients, instead of the people restricted in human rights, who we are.

Any mention of AIDS in a context of gays' problems conducts to effect when a Philistine continues to equate and identify them. For example, by reading a phrase "having driven homosexuals into underground, also they would drive AIDS there" (the interview of L. Taranenko to "Interesnaya Gazeta", No. 5 (9), 1994), it is possible only to make such conclusion. Yet, according to official data, "for today a level of HIV-infected among homosexuals stills the lowest in comparison with the other groups of risk" (interview with Yury Kobyshcha, First Assistant of Chairman of National Committee on Preventive Maintenance of Drug Addiction and AIDS, "Odyn z nas ", No. 3).

The reality of creation of a new All-Ukrainian (also any regional) gay organization is very small today. And, unfortunately, this long crisis in our lines to all appearances will be overcame not soon. It will occur along with the development of just commercial structures of leisure, which in turn will appear and already do in large centers, and their further progress in Ukraine will basically depend on progress of our economy and improvement of common life standards.

Yet it does not exclude the importance and necessity of work on all directions. It does not belittle in any way a merit of the people who work.