TGEU Countries: Moldova GENDERDOC-M Information Centre carries out con- cial called “Unexpected Adventures with Letto” for In September 2014, a group of unknown individuals past- Direct transphobic violence stant monitoring of Moldovan mass media with regard their beverage brand “Letto”. In the first commercial, a ed anti-EU and anti-LGBT stickers containing an image The implementation of ProTrans has seen numerous vio- to its coverage of LGBT issues and (mis)representa- group of stereotypically represented rich young women of Conchita Wurst in public spaces throughout Chișinău. lent attacks against GENDERDOC-M by individuals and tion of LGBT people. Due to the almost zero visibility leave what appears to be a shopping mall, escorted by Similar stickers with anti-Pride messages, also containing right-wing extremist gangs, such us “Occupy Paedophilia”. of trans individuals and communities in society, there is two bodyguards. As they are about to get into a car, one an image of Conchita Wurst, were pasted in public spac- little coverage of trans issues in the traditional or new of the women takes out a bottle of Letto. Suddenly, they es throughout Chișinău in May 2015 urging the popula- For the record media. Occasionally, there are reports on or anonymous are splashed by a caricatured male character, who rides tion to stop the annual Pride March for Equality. 1. On 17 May 2014, at the annual “Rainbow over Dni- interviews with transsexual individuals that are most al- through a puddle on his scooter, grabs the bottle and ester” LGBT Pride Festival, GENDERDOC-M held the ways neutral or positive. However, after Austrian drag rides away. In the second video,10 when the man tries to second LGBT Pride March for Equality in Chişinău titled performer Conchita Wurst won the 2014 Eurovision redeem the bottle cap for a tablet computer, he is kid- “It’s time to be yourself!” Around 120 people joined the song contest, her stage persona disturbed many people napped by the two bodyguards and driven in a van to a march, which took place in the city centre on the Inter- in Moldova, who used the Internet to disseminate hate- garage, where he is chained to a sofa and left alone in the national Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. Po- ful, transphobic opinions about her. dark. When the doors open, an impersonator of Conch- lice protected participants from counterdemonstrators, ita Wurst enters and slowly walks toward him with the several of whom were detained. An unknown young man In June 2014, a non-alcoholic beverage company, presumable intention of torturing or sexually harassing attempted to hinder the peaceful course of the march. He Rusnac-MoldAqua, launched a two-part TV commer- him, which makes him start screaming in fear. tried to rip a banner with an equality message away from the activists who were carrying it in the front line and also attempted to block people from marching further. Two police officers reacted immediately and tried to detain Screenshot of the non-alcoholic beverage “Letto” featuring an impersonator of Conchita Wurst who is used as “torture tool” on a cisgender heterosexual male. (Screenshot from the video) the perpetrator, who was shouting “No to homosexuality!” When the two officers removed him from the scene to the side and unblocked the way, a cisgender female TV reporter approached the perpetrator, inquiring about the motive for his actions. The perpetrator asked the reporter: “Are you a woman or Conchita?”, referring to the recent drag winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. Anti-EU and anti-LGBT stickers containing image of Conchita Wurst in public spaces displayed in Chișinău in September 2014 A Pride March intruder is detained by the police after trying to hinder the course of the LGBT peaceful assembly in May 2014 (Screenshot from a YouTube video) + 68 + + 69 +