Chechnya’s Anti-Gay Pogrom | Crisis Group

Contents:

• GEIA IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO BE GAY
• CHECHNYA’S ANTI-GAY POGROM
• GEIA: MOST ACCEPTG OF GAY MUNY CS REGN
• THE HISTORY OF HOMOSEXUALY RSIA: OM SOVIET SEX CHANG TO GAY GULAGS
• ACTIVISTS: CHECHEN AUTHORI ORR FAI TO KILL LGBT FAY MEMBERS, ALSO PAY RANSOMS

GEIA IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO BE GAY

Across the Cs, strict patriarchal polici, sexism, and homophobia are mon, and many people om the LGBTQ muny risk persecutn if their inty is disvered. There was an openly gay man and an open lbian woman at our school: but [I always thought about how] that boy was om a nice fay, how he had nothg to lose.

It was my own bra tryg to work out if I was homophobic or not. Ultimately, LGBTQ people are leavg the republic, and so did I — gay men have easier northern Rsia.

Wh time, has bee clear to me that until I me out to myself, my ternalised homophobia wasn’t gog anywhere, and the world wasn’t gog to bee a better place. I’m openly gay and have been wrg posts on social media about my orientatn sce 2017.

CHECHNYA’S ANTI-GAY POGROM

As the global LGBT muny marks Pri Month, lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people face growg, state-sanctned homophobia and vlence Rsia, activists say. In s World Report 2023, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that Rsia has adopted “new, homophobic legislatn and ramped up homophobic…rhetoric. Mama always knew that I was gay.

I nnot image anythg better for a [gay] Chechen than havg your mother stop talkg about marryg you off or curg you and, stead, jt treatg you normally. I realized that a wch hunt agast gays was gog on Chechnya back 2017 om the woman I worked for.

Recently I found my younger brother on a gay datg se. Turns out he is eher bisexual or gay. If my relativ fd out that two brothers one fay are gay, they will take very badly.

GEIA: MOST ACCEPTG OF GAY MUNY CS REGN

He don’t nsir himself gay. I have always been amazed that there are famo gays and nothg happens to them, but ordary guys go to one wrong meetg and that’s . About 97 percent of gay datg announcements are traps.

A lot of gays extort other gays. Our MissnFound 1975, the Hoton LGBTQ+ Polil Cc is dited to elimatg prejudice, vlence, and jtice agast lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer people through tn, activism, and polil advocy. On Augt 3, ne gay-right activists were beaten up Armenia by dozens of people, acrdg to the Pk Armenia activist anizatn.

Evlira, one of the victims, explas that the asslt was preced by homophobic slurs and threats.

THE HISTORY OF HOMOSEXUALY RSIA: OM SOVIET SEX CHANG TO GAY GULAGS

In Geia, the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ) muny enjoy acceptance at the legislative level. Ined, homosexualy has been crimalized sce 2000. More than 80% of the populatn are Orthodox and listen to their Church when nam homosexualy an abnormaly, a disease, and a slur to tradn.

Five years ago, 2013, 93% said they would be agast livg wh homosexual neighbors. There have been s of asslt agast homosexuals, particular durg the Anti-Homophobia Day para 2013 the streets of Tbilisi.

ACTIVISTS: CHECHEN AUTHORI ORR FAI TO KILL LGBT FAY MEMBERS, ALSO PAY RANSOMS

In September 2017, a vic crackdown om the thori proved that the untry remas the ‘Worst of 49 European Countri which to be Gay, ’ as a survey released 2016 stated. Over ten days last year, dozens of gay people and transsexuals were arrted. Acrdg to the Pew Rearch center, 92% of the populatn believ that homosexualy is morally wrong,.