For some of you, i presume you will not have seen what has been happening in Russia, since western media seems ok to let these incidents slip by without comment or report. For the rest of us on social media who feel sickend and want to create change, we have a slightly harder battle, but one that will be won either way, when it comes to not only bringing about awareness of this to people, but bringing enough people together on this topic to create change.
Some of you may well have read the following story. If you don't wish to read it, then please skip through it, it doesn't make for a pleasent read, yet this is the reality for LGBT people now living in Russia.
"President Putin’s crusade against LGBT community in Russia took a new disturbing turn.
Russian Neo Nazis have been advised by a top-ranking supremacist to create fake profiles on a popular Russian social network, VK.com, and lure in gay male teenagers in order to torture and humiliate them for being gay.
Spectrum Human Rights Alliance reports:
Infamous Russian ultra-nationalist and former skin head, Maxim Martsinkevich, known under the nickname “Cleaver” (or “Tesak” in Russian) spearheaded a country wide campaign against LGBT teens using a popular social network VK.com to lure unsuspected victims through personal ads. Mr. Martsinkevich’s numerous and enthusiastic followers started two projects: “Occupy Pedophilyaj” and “Occupy Gerontilyaj”. Allegedly they are trying to identify and report pedophiles using these “movements”. In reality, over 500 online groups have been created inside VK.com social network in order to organize illegal militant groups in every Russian city. Oddly enough their idea of fighting pedophiles targets exclusively male teenagers who respond to the same-sex personal ads and show up for a date. Captured victims are bullied and often tortured while being recorded on video.
These self-proclaimed “crime fighters” perform their actions under the broad day light, often outside and clearly visible to general public that indifferently passes by or even commend them. Video recordings of bullying and tortures are freely distributed on the Internet in order to out LGBT teens to their respective schools, parents and friends. Many victims were driven to suicides, the rest are deeply traumatized. So far Russian police took no action against these “movements” even though Russian criminal code was clearly violated and despite numerous complaints from parents, victims and LGBT activists. Social network VK.com intermittently shuts down selected groups and profiles only to allow them to be re-open on the next day. Currently, the founder of VK.com, Pavel Durov, resides in the US and so far has not released any comments."
Sickening right?
Keep in mind, this is only what we have found out, there IS much worse than this happening in Russia. Now do you see why i started off this post with a positive message?
Politically speaking, President Putin has rolled his country's laws back many a year, infact, he probably wouldn't suprise many people if he rolled them back abit futher to include actions like this to black people, and nobody would think twice.
Yet, we do.
We are LGBT and as much as not everybody would like to admit it, we are a community, or family, to use an older phraze. It is time that we stood up and made our voices heard, which is why later this afternoon, i'll be recording abit on youtube about this topic. *Update, it got recorded....*
It does also raise the question, is putin gay? I mean lets face it, some people do go to incredable lengths to try and cover their sexuality up, including starting hate groups of their own, or conversion groups, where they believe they can convert gay people to being straight. Anybody remember Alan Chambers? He was the leader of Exodus International (which has since been closed) which claimed to be able to change people's sexuality. Alan claimed to have a "change of heart" in his closing statement, in which, he basically came out the closet, and to this day, i don't think is welcomed into the gay community. So, what about putin? Is it possible that he is creating these laws in order to hide his own sexuality?
So, can anything be done?
Signitures are being collected by Allout.org. You can find details of that by clicking here. If you make content for youtube, make a video about it, if you blog, blog about it, if you have a facebook, spread the news....
Let's not sit by and let this carry on happening. As MLK once said, it is not the words of our enemies we remember, but the silence of our friends.
Are you silent?
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