LGBTQ+ activists relaunch Selftanu, a website for queer teenagers, after it was blocked by the Kazakh authorities
LGBTQ+ activists relaunch Selftanu, a website for queer teenagers, after it was blocked by the Kazakh authorities. Educators Sasha Kazantseva and Mutali Mosqueu have announced the relaunch of Selftanu — a website for queer teenagers in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
The resource was originally created as a “library of answers” to the most common questions about gender, orientation, sex, relationships, and growing up. In early 2024, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information blocked the site, following waves of DDoS attacks.
Now, Selftanu has been rebuilt and re-launched in an updated version. The authors say the project has become “even better” — with improved navigation, a new design, and expanded content.
The Selftanu library contains more than 100 questions and answers, prepared with the help of international psychologists, doctors, activists, and researchers. Among the topics are:
A separate section is dedicated to parents and educators.
According to the founders, the project has proven useful not only to teenagers but also to adults: “Many LGBT+ people wrote to us that Selftanu helped them fill in gaps in knowledge — because in their own youth, none of this information was available.”
The team also plans to gradually translate materials into the languages of different countries across Central Asia and Eastern Europe, stressing the importance of decolonial values and cultural diversity.
“Very few initiatives focus on LGBT+ teenagers in our region, because it’s legally, ethically, and technically more difficult,” Kazantseva explains. “We ourselves were once queer teenagers, struggling and searching for answers. Now we’ve grown up, survived, and want to help others.”
The resource was originally created as a “library of answers” to the most common questions about gender, orientation, sex, relationships, and growing up. In early 2024, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information blocked the site, following waves of DDoS attacks.
Now, Selftanu has been rebuilt and re-launched in an updated version. The authors say the project has become “even better” — with improved navigation, a new design, and expanded content.
The Selftanu library contains more than 100 questions and answers, prepared with the help of international psychologists, doctors, activists, and researchers. Among the topics are:
- how to understand your orientation and gender identity;
- where to find friends and support;
- how to build romantic relationships;
- what’s important to know about sex and sexual health;
- how to talk to parents, relatives, and teachers.
A separate section is dedicated to parents and educators.
According to the founders, the project has proven useful not only to teenagers but also to adults: “Many LGBT+ people wrote to us that Selftanu helped them fill in gaps in knowledge — because in their own youth, none of this information was available.”
The team also plans to gradually translate materials into the languages of different countries across Central Asia and Eastern Europe, stressing the importance of decolonial values and cultural diversity.
“Very few initiatives focus on LGBT+ teenagers in our region, because it’s legally, ethically, and technically more difficult,” Kazantseva explains. “We ourselves were once queer teenagers, struggling and searching for answers. Now we’ve grown up, survived, and want to help others.”