This is the blog of Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens. We post updates on the persecution of gays in Chechnya and our activities on behalf of these individuals. Go to Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens to learn how you can help.
The BBC reports good news for some of the 43 men who have escaped Chechnya, where their lives were in danger from an anti-gay campaign being conducted by the Chechen authorities. Nine men being assisted by the Russian LGBT Network have been granted visas to countries offering refuge outside the Russian Federation. … Read more
French LGBTQ rights groups filed with the International Criminal Court Monday to accuse Chechnya of carrying out a “gay genocide.” … Read more
With the Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens charity auction ending tomorrow (get your bids in!), we’ve gotten a ton of support from writers around the blogoverse, and for that I’m grateful. A quick round up of a few that posted today, one from days ago that I missed in a previous roundup, and a poem that is timeless in its relevance. … Read more
Four Russians and an Italian were detained by Moscow police on Thursday when they attempted to deliver petitions containing 2 million signatures asking the Russian prosecutor general to look into the Chechen government’s persecution of men perceived to be gay, Agence France-Presse and Australia’s SBS News reported.
Lately, one of my favorite times of day is checking out all the blogs that are talking about ways to save the lives of LGBT Chechens. Back before the internet, few of us would have known about what’s going on in Chechnya, and fewer of us would have been in a position to help. But that’s all changed. We may not be able to change government policies or social prejudices in one fell swoop, but we can provide real, tangible assistance to many of the men who’ve been swept up in Chechnya’s anti-gay purge — men who would have had no place to turn only a few years ago. Here are a few excerpts from the blogs I visited this morning. … Read more
Thanks to My Fiction Nook, Diverse Reader, and authors Annabeth Leong, Lisabet Sarai and Sarah Hadley Brook for drawing attention to the situation in Chechnya and the Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens fundraising auction. Annabeth wrote a post on her author blog that did a great job of capturing one of the things we’re trying to do at Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens — build up people’s spirits with great queer stories while dealing with tough realities that continue to threaten our community.
digitalSTAGE has created this heartbreaking short play, Unchechen, based on news reports and interviews with survivors of the attempted purge of homosexuals in Chechnya. It consists of monologues by a father and his son, who has been arrested on suspicion that he is gay. Watch it, then write a letter or sign a petition to express your concerns to Chechen and Russian authorities. … Read more
Author Nell Iris wrote a moving post today about the situation in Chechnya and ways to help. In it, she talks about her experiences living in a country where being gay is against the law. … Read more
Jeff Adams & Will Knauss of the Big Gay Fiction Podcast highlighted the Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens online charity auction in their last two episodes. You can check the most recent episodes in the links in the post.
Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov’s has threatened to “eliminate” the gay community in Chechnya by the end of May. As pressure increases on LGBT Chechens, more are sure to flee, and they need our support to find a safe place to land. … Read more