The media project and NGO Doberman.media has officially signed and supported a petition demanding international sanctions against Olga Bukhanovskaya, the chief physician of the “Phoenix” Center. The move comes in response to her public statements pathologizing LGBTQ+ identities during a major medical conference.
During her recent speech at the XVIII Congress of Psychiatrists of Russia, Olga Bukhanovskaya, head of the “Phoenix” Medical-Rehabilitation Scientific Center, claimed the existence of a “transgender spectrum disorder”. She alleged that this condition comprises “five diseases,” explicitly including homosexuality as one of them.
This stance directly contradicts international medical standards and modern scientific consensus, which have long depathologized both transgender identities and homosexuality in developed nations.
According to Doberman.media and human rights activists, such statements from a high-ranking medical professional are “openly discriminatory” and further stigmatize the LGBTQ+ community in Russia. The project emphasizes that these remarks:
- Create an additional form of pressure and danger for millions of people.
- Fuel existing hatred and bias against LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.
- Demonstrate a “profound lack of understanding” regarding global advancements in medical practice.
By supporting the petition, Doberman.media is calling on the international community to take “decisive measures” to protect human rights. The specific demands include:
- Personal sanctions against Olga Bukhanovskaya.
- Sanctions against the “Phoenix” Center as a legal entity.
The goal of these measures is to demonstrate that the global community will not remain silent and will actively support LGBTQ+ rights and human dignity, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Supporting the petition is framed as an act of solidarity with those facing institutional pressure in Russia.