Lyosha Gorshkov is the co-founder
of Brighton Beach Pride and a
leader of RUSA LGBT, which brings
queer visibility and advocacy to the
Russian-speaking community in New York
City.
Lyosha is from Russia but was forced
to flee the country in 2014 after facing
persecution as an out queer professor
and LGBTQ rights advocate. Lyosha
arrived in New York City and quickly
became active in the Russian LGBTQ
community in Brighton Beach.
Lyosha
Gorshkov
Brighton Beach Pride (RUSA LGBT)
Lyosha leads the annual Brighton Beach
Pride March along the Riegelmann
Boardwalk in southern Brooklyn. The
march unites queer immigrants of
all backgrounds and delivers an
intersectional message of support to
marginalized queer folks, including
people of color, as well as transgender
and non-binary individuals.
During the fifth annual Brighton Beach
Pride March earlier this year, Lyosha said,
“Brighton Beach is changing very slowly,
but they know we are here. All of a
sudden, homophobia has been exposed
in Brighton Beach — and that’s the major
achievement.”
Lyosha currently serves as the director
of LGBTQ initiatives at Colgate University.
Prior to that, Lyosha was a tenured
professor and deputy dean at Perm State
University in Russia; the care manager at
the Alliance for Positive Change in New
York; visiting scholar at Indiana University;
and assistant director of the Pride Center
and Women’s Center at Slippery Rock
University.
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