Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1095
2008-08-21 04:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN'S GAY UNDERGROUND: HIDDEN, GROWING
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001095
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S GAY UNDERGROUND: HIDDEN, GROWING
AND AT RISK
REF: ASHGABAT 380
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001095
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S GAY UNDERGROUND: HIDDEN, GROWING
AND AT RISK
REF: ASHGABAT 380
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY. Officially nonexistent and a taboo topic,
Turkmenistan's gay population is finding partners with
greater frequency. Men will first meet in public places and
then secretly continue seeing each other, although the shame
and social stigma attached to being gay leads to frequent
self denial. Some see gay sex as subversive resistance to a
strict, traditional society. Gay men who are forced to marry
either neglect their wives or resign themselves to the
circumstances. While the government does not report any
HIV-positive cases, gay men and their families are especially
at risk for sexually transmitted illnesses (STI) due to lack
of information and support. This problem will only worsen
without reliable data and a focused educational campaign.
END SUMMARY.
A TABOO SUBCULTURE
3. (SBU) If government officials are to be believed, there
are no gays in Turkmenistan. State media categorically
avoids the topic. Even the Russian word for gay, "goluboi",
remains taboo for polite conversation. Yet a gay subculture
does exist in Turkmenistan. Although it is impossible to
determine the number of gay men in the country, locals report
that they are finding partners with greater frequency and
that numbers of gay men seeking partners is increasing.
FROM PUBLIC MEETINGS...
4. (SBU) Gays commonly meet one another for the first time
in public places in broad daylight. A man who has been with
three different partners met them at Russian Bazaar, Amir
Bazaar and on the bus. There are no set gestures or signals
for indicating interest, so men have to be extremely careful.
One wrong choice could permanently ostracize them from their
family and community. Typically, when two men meet in a
public place and display interest toward each other, they
will exchange contact information and agree to take a walk
together. This is relatively safe as the walk gives both of
them a chance to gauge the inclination of the other.
...TO CLANDESTINE TRYSTS
5. (SBU) If interest is unambiguously reciprocated, the two
men will then agree to meet in secret. They will take great
pains to ensure their friends and families don't find out.
Two good friends only discovered each other's sexual
preferences when it was revealed they had both slept with the
same man. Some nightclubs are also reported to shelter gay
activity. In particular, the discotheque within the "Nissa"
hotel is known for having gay clientele and even male
prostitutes.
BUT THEY'RE "NOT GAY"
6. (SBU) Turkmen will almost never admit to being "goluboi".
The closest answer one could hear is "I don't like women."
Turkmen frequently feel a sense of shame about the matter and
psychologically distinguish between their "normal" and their
secret lives. Some consider having sex with men as the only
way to escape from what they feel is an overly repressive,
stifling environment. For these select few, gay sex
represents a form of subversive resistance to strict,
family-oriented cultural mores.
GAY MARRIAGE? NOT EXACTLY...
7. (SBU) Cultural pressures demand that many Turkmen marry
young. For gay men, this is a particular source of anxiety.
One man described the misery of leaving his Ashgabat lover to
ASHGABAT 00001095 002 OF 002
return to his home in Turkmenbashy in order to get married.
These men have no support network that they can turn to and
must confront this problem in isolation. Some choose to
continue surreptitiously finding partners on the side,
remaining emotionally distant from their wives. Others try
to resign themselves to living a married life as best they
can.
AT RISK FOR HIV/AIDS
8. (SBU) The government reported zero official HIV cases in
the past several years, although an unofficial 2007 UNDP
report estimated 1,000 HIV-positive cases in Turkmenistan
(reftel). Clinics and health officials are regularly told
not to document patients that come in for treatment or
testing of the virus. There are very few public awareness
initiatives available to educate people on STI prevention and
treatment. Most Turkmen believe HIV can only be transmitted
through vaginal sex. Unprotected sex puts not only the men
at risk but also their wives and children, who will not be
aware of the danger of transmission and will not receive
treatment.
9. (SBU) COMMENT. Gays in Turkmenistan will continue to be a
taboo subject in the foreseeable future. With no local
support network or access to internet forums, this group will
remain an underground subculture in Turkmenistan. Besides
the emotional trauma from stigmatization that gay men endure,
they are a growing health risk from STIs. They have little
opportunity to be informed about safety precautions and
hesitate to seek medical attention. If the government
continues ignoring the problem of HIV/AIDS and fails to
provide available information on safety and precaution, this
problem will only worsen. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S GAY UNDERGROUND: HIDDEN, GROWING
AND AT RISK
REF: ASHGABAT 380
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY. Officially nonexistent and a taboo topic,
Turkmenistan's gay population is finding partners with
greater frequency. Men will first meet in public places and
then secretly continue seeing each other, although the shame
and social stigma attached to being gay leads to frequent
self denial. Some see gay sex as subversive resistance to a
strict, traditional society. Gay men who are forced to marry
either neglect their wives or resign themselves to the
circumstances. While the government does not report any
HIV-positive cases, gay men and their families are especially
at risk for sexually transmitted illnesses (STI) due to lack
of information and support. This problem will only worsen
without reliable data and a focused educational campaign.
END SUMMARY.
A TABOO SUBCULTURE
3. (SBU) If government officials are to be believed, there
are no gays in Turkmenistan. State media categorically
avoids the topic. Even the Russian word for gay, "goluboi",
remains taboo for polite conversation. Yet a gay subculture
does exist in Turkmenistan. Although it is impossible to
determine the number of gay men in the country, locals report
that they are finding partners with greater frequency and
that numbers of gay men seeking partners is increasing.
FROM PUBLIC MEETINGS...
4. (SBU) Gays commonly meet one another for the first time
in public places in broad daylight. A man who has been with
three different partners met them at Russian Bazaar, Amir
Bazaar and on the bus. There are no set gestures or signals
for indicating interest, so men have to be extremely careful.
One wrong choice could permanently ostracize them from their
family and community. Typically, when two men meet in a
public place and display interest toward each other, they
will exchange contact information and agree to take a walk
together. This is relatively safe as the walk gives both of
them a chance to gauge the inclination of the other.
...TO CLANDESTINE TRYSTS
5. (SBU) If interest is unambiguously reciprocated, the two
men will then agree to meet in secret. They will take great
pains to ensure their friends and families don't find out.
Two good friends only discovered each other's sexual
preferences when it was revealed they had both slept with the
same man. Some nightclubs are also reported to shelter gay
activity. In particular, the discotheque within the "Nissa"
hotel is known for having gay clientele and even male
prostitutes.
BUT THEY'RE "NOT GAY"
6. (SBU) Turkmen will almost never admit to being "goluboi".
The closest answer one could hear is "I don't like women."
Turkmen frequently feel a sense of shame about the matter and
psychologically distinguish between their "normal" and their
secret lives. Some consider having sex with men as the only
way to escape from what they feel is an overly repressive,
stifling environment. For these select few, gay sex
represents a form of subversive resistance to strict,
family-oriented cultural mores.
GAY MARRIAGE? NOT EXACTLY...
7. (SBU) Cultural pressures demand that many Turkmen marry
young. For gay men, this is a particular source of anxiety.
One man described the misery of leaving his Ashgabat lover to
ASHGABAT 00001095 002 OF 002
return to his home in Turkmenbashy in order to get married.
These men have no support network that they can turn to and
must confront this problem in isolation. Some choose to
continue surreptitiously finding partners on the side,
remaining emotionally distant from their wives. Others try
to resign themselves to living a married life as best they
can.
AT RISK FOR HIV/AIDS
8. (SBU) The government reported zero official HIV cases in
the past several years, although an unofficial 2007 UNDP
report estimated 1,000 HIV-positive cases in Turkmenistan
(reftel). Clinics and health officials are regularly told
not to document patients that come in for treatment or
testing of the virus. There are very few public awareness
initiatives available to educate people on STI prevention and
treatment. Most Turkmen believe HIV can only be transmitted
through vaginal sex. Unprotected sex puts not only the men
at risk but also their wives and children, who will not be
aware of the danger of transmission and will not receive
treatment.
9. (SBU) COMMENT. Gays in Turkmenistan will continue to be a
taboo subject in the foreseeable future. With no local
support network or access to internet forums, this group will
remain an underground subculture in Turkmenistan. Besides
the emotional trauma from stigmatization that gay men endure,
they are a growing health risk from STIs. They have little
opportunity to be informed about safety precautions and
hesitate to seek medical attention. If the government
continues ignoring the problem of HIV/AIDS and fails to
provide available information on safety and precaution, this
problem will only worsen. END COMMENT.
CURRAN