Annual reports Annual Report 2023
Foreword
This is the foreword to the 2023 Annual Report of RUSA LGBTQ+ (now QARAVAN), written by its founder and Board President, Yelena Goltsman.
“Never in a million years did I imagine that RUSA LGBTQ+ would eventually become a formally registered nonprofit organization.”
After nearly 16 years of community building, we came of age in 2022, when we registered as a nonprofit. This is our first annual report, and 2023 was our first full year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Milestones of 2023
- Received our first seed funding
- Established a board and solidified our strategic directions
- Hired our first paid staff
- Launched an active chat channel with nearly a thousand users
- Organized our seventh and largest Brighton Beach Pride, which ended with an afterparty featuring our community talent
- Launched Rainbow Connections, a one-to-one program that pairs volunteers with newcomers for English practice, companionship, and orientation to the United States
The LGBTQ+ community faced many challenges in 2023: anti-LGBTQ+ legislation imposed in Russia, the Russian government’s labeling of the “global LGBTQ movement” as “extremist” (a label QARAVAN rejects), the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, regional conflicts, New York City asylum seeker shelter emergencies, and a lack of legal and social services in New York City. RUSA LGBTQ+ worked tirelessly to support its rapidly expanding community.
- 2,000+new asylum seekers took part in Pride marches, events, and moderated chat channels
- 800+people received direct support: referrals, legal partners, job and housing orientations
- 3,000+people reached and assisted through educational publications, social media, and newsletters
In 2023, we welcomed the largest number of asylum seekers since the community began in 2008. To help more LGBTQ+ individuals, families with children, and youth, we focus on building our organizational capacity.
As we grow, my hope is that our grassroots organization will keep strengthening the community of LGBTQ+ refugees from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus and further amplify our collective voice to demand equality and human rights for everyone.
Yelena Goltsman, RUSA LGBTQ+ Founder and Board President