Members of Uzbekistan's LGBT muny say they have been driven unrground fear of a vlent backlash after a blogger and some of his supporters were attacked last month followg social media posts llg for gay ralli at Mlim holy s.
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ATTACK ON BLOGGER DRIV UZBEK GAY MUNY UNRGROUND
REUTERS/Timur Karpov Acquire Licensg RightsALMATY, April 9 (Rters) - Members of Uzbekistan's LGBT muny say they have been driven unrground fear of a vlent backlash after a blogger and some of his supporters were attacked last month followg social media posts llg for gay ralli at Mlim holy s. Bazarov, who is not gay, had posted on social media llg for LGBT gathergs at holy s and for a new "state and gay" secury angry mob later attacked several young people who planned to attend an event anised by Bazarov, although had nothg to do wh LGBT issu and was voted to Korean pop mic and Japane rtoons. Homosexualy is banned Uzbekistan and nsensual gay sex is a felony.
"Gay people are now avoidg f where they once met public, some of which have shut, they said.
"This (wave of homophobia) would have happened any se, " said Timur Karpov, an ally of Bazarov.
GAY LIFE UZBEKISTAN
"Karpov said he believed the attackers who beat up Bazarov were motivated ls by his posts on gay rights than by his earlier cricism of the ernment, cludg a ll to boytt a parliamentary electn the gay people who spoke to Rters said they were worried their secury had been put at risk by mpaigners terted provokg nontatn unrelated to their rights. "Bazarov was jt lookg for hype and hurt the (LGBT) muny, " said the human rights Bazarov's remarks, several public figur and one football club have spoken out to nmn homosexualy.
"The day we allow (legalised gay sex) will be the day of our ath, " Rasul Kherbayev, a proment member of parliament, said last Williamson, Director of Europe and Central Asia divisn at Uned Stat-based Human Rights Watch, scribed last month's beatgs as "totally awful". End attacks on LGBT people, " he thori, wary both of liberalism and of policised Islamist nservatism, seem to be want both gay rights and the backlash agast to disappear back to the Allamjonov, the head of fluential Media Support and Development Foundatn whose learship clus a dghter of Mirziyoyev, urged lol media not to ver LGBT issu. But Uzbekistan, where homosexualy is a crime, was brave and darg, phg the l of how gay people Uzbekistan n live and mandg the sort of digny he knew that gay people had elsewhere.
In a untry where the police e fake profil on social media to lure gay men to apartments and then make them choose between payg up or facg three years prison, how n they?