WAITING FOR COLOR is a documentary dance film revealing the harsh reality of LGBTQ+ persecution in the Chechen region of Russia. The contents of the film were inspired by testimonials of the arrests, torture, and blackmail that gay Chechens were subjected to throughout 2017. Through the accounts of 33 brave individuals who shared their stories, the film explores the themes of paranoia, trauma, and hope.
The Russian LGBT Network continues its work to provide emergency support for people who suffered as a result of mass anti-LGBT campaign organized by the Chechen authorities. Since April 2017, the Network evacuated 130 people from the region (100 men and 30 women), 112 people have already left Russia. Since April 2017, there were seven attempts to kidnap people already evacuated from the region.
On September 12, the representative of the Russian LGBT Network Igor Kochetkov made a statement at the annual OSCE Conference in Warsaw. The statement was devoted to the illegal detentions, tortures and extrajudicial killings in Chechnya based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The official representatives of the Russian Federation also delivered a statement, but did not even mention the situation in Chechnya.
52 Russian and International human rights organizations (including the Russian LGBT Network) signed the statement about the fact that Russia jeopardize online freedoms all over the world. The representative of Article 19 delivered the Statement at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Genève.
On May 19th, GENDERDOC-M organized the annual march of equality in Chișinău, under the campaign Fără Frică de Iubire(Without the fear to love). However, unlike the last years’ experience, the march that included approximately 350 participants was able to reach its destination without being attacked and evacuated halfway through the route. The Ministry of Interior provided all necessary protections for the participants and despite the aggressive outbursts of the counter-protestors, the Pride march was not exposed to any violence.
A year has passed since the publication of first testimonies of LGBT people that faced persecution in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. However the unlawful detentions, humiliation and torture of LGBT people in Northern Caucasus persist. There are some things one can do to support the victims of the state-organized persecutions of LGBT in Chechnya.
