July 31, 2019

Protect Russia’s LGBTQ community

tags:	#Russia, #LGBT, #LGBTQ Rights
located:	Russia
by:	Yair Oded

Across Russia, LGBTQ people are under attack.

While the general population appears to be gradually more accepting of the queer community, Putin’s homophobic regime instill a sense of fear among the LGBTQ population, maintains a hostile attitude towards it by the government, withholds its protections, and encourages the terrorizing of queer people by hateful extremists. 

Last week, Yelena Grigorvyeva, an LGBT activist in St. Petersburg, alerted the authorities that her name appeared on a website that publishes information of queer activists and offers an award for their killing.

Just several days later, Grigoryeva was stabbed to death close to her home in St. Petersburg.

While a suspect was taken into custody, it is highly unlikely that the attack will be investigated as a hate crime. 

Amidst this ongoing threat of terror, the Russian LGBT Network works to protect the queer community and advocate on its behalf.

Originally founded in 2006, the organization currently operates as a blanket network for LGBTQ advocacy groups all across Russia. It offers legal services and protection to queer people regardless of their circumstances, engages in constant advocacy with the Russian authorities, provides detailed reports on the situation of the community in Russia to international human rights organizations, and runs a wide range of information and educational campaigns to increase awareness of the community and its needs - as well as of the dangers associated with its persecution. 

Please visit their website to learn about their ongoing campaigns, volunteer opportunities, or to pledge a donation.

Image credit: Stonewall.org.uk