In its Equal Eyes recaps of the world’s LGBTI news, UNAIDS reports: In Russia, the head of the Russian Federal AIDS Center, Vadim Pokrovskiy, is calling attention to Russia’s escalating AIDS epidemic that saw over 100,000 new infections in 2016. Pokrovsky and other experts say homophobia, a “negative view” of drug users, and a refusal by officials to … Continue reading
The concept of “traditional values” has been weaponized for use against LGBT people. “Through a persistent rhetoric, powerfully promoted by Russia and its allies, LGBT people have come to embody all that is antithetical to so-called ‘traditional values,’ ” says Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch. Continue reading
Russian officials had been largely ignoring international appeals for a probe of last spring’s round-up, imprisonment and torture of suspected gay men in Chechnya, pointing out that none of the victims had stepped forward publicly as a witness. But last month a Russian man spoke publicly about the extreme abuse he experienced in Chechnya after … Continue reading
Chechen pop singer Zelim Bakaev, who is feared to have fallen victim to Chechnya’s anti-gay purge, has been missing for three months. Continue reading
Russian human rights defender Evdokiya Romanova was convicted of distributing “gay propaganda” and fined the equivalent of US $861. The conviction was based on her sharing BuzzFeed and Guardian articles. Continue reading
“No protesters, no bomb threats, no provocations, and no venue cancellations.” That was one description of this year’s successful ninth annual QueerFest in St. Petersburg from Polina Andrianova, leader of the Russian LGBT group Coming Out. Continue reading
News briefs about health issues, discrimination and legal challenges facing LGBT communities in Malawi, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Myanmar and Pakistan. Continue reading
LGBT rights activists celebrated as the annual QueerFest festival in St. Petersburg got under way without harassment. Continue reading
Almost two dozen gay Chechens, or more, have found refuge in Canada under a program developed by the Canadian government and the LGBTI refugee aid program Rainbow Railroad. Continue reading
Modestly edited items from ILGA’s LGBulleTIn and UNAIDS’s Equal Eyes news summaries: Continue reading
