Dear Christine,
I’ve been reading terrible things about how the Chechnya government is rounding up gays and lesbians in concentration camps and torturing them. What is going on and how I can I make a difference as a lesbian here in the US? Signed,
Concerned and scared in Commerce
Dear Concerned,
I share your concerns and fears. Chechnya is predominantly Muslim and extremely conservative. It doesn’t even believe that gay people exist, but they consider LGBT people, who are of “non–traditional orientation” to be “undesirable” who need to be “preventively mopped up.” There are reports of at least 100 innocent gay men being kidnapped, detained, tortured and killed there. “Homosexual propaganda” was made illegal in 2013 in all of Russia, and the situation in Chechnya is that gay and bi people there have no choice but to leave. So far, Nikki Haley, the Ambassador to the UN from the USA, has issued a statement condemning the persecution of gay men in the Russian republic of Chechnya, less than a week after GLAAD urged her to do so.
“We are against all forms of discrimination, including against people based on sexual orientation. When left unchecked, discrimination and human rights abuses can lead to destabilization and conflict.”
Tomorrow, the United States will lead a first–ever meeting on human rights in international conflicts in the UN Security Council to underscore our commitment to addressing human rights abuses wherever they threaten international peace and security. Pasted from <http://www.advocate.com/world/2017/4/17/un–ambassador–nikki–haley–condemns–abuse–gay–men–chechnya>
The White House and Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, have both remained silent, which is unacceptable. What you can do to make a difference is sign both of the following petitions to concur that you agree that:
We demand a full investigation of all the facts about unlawful repression in Chechnya of LGBT population, punishment for the guilty parties and an end to the practice of extra–judicial violence and killings in the republic.
https://www.change.org/p/russia–prosecutor–general–investigate–mass–murder–and–torture–of–lgbt–people–in–chechnya
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/stop–abducting–and–killing–gay–men–chechnya
Keep up contact with the White House and the Secretary of State to pressure them to respond to these abuses through snail mail, email, Facebook, Instagram and other social media. Contact your Representatives and Senators also. Make your voice heard and stop bigotry and violence against LGBT people around the world. Thanks for writing in. Christine C. Cantrell, PhD
Psychologist