NEW YORK – GLAAD today expressed outrage over President Trump’s continued silence on the attacks against LGBTQ men in Chechnya even as new reports indicate that members of the Chechen LGBTQ community could face terrorism charges if these men attempt to escape the country and attacks on them based on their perceived sexual orientation.
In a statement released today GLAAD said, “President Trump and his administration have displayed clear negligence to a humanitarian crisis happening in Russia-controlled Chechnya where more than 100 LGBTQ men are said to have been detained and attacked simply because of their perceived sexual orientation. Additionally, about 27 men have reportedly been killed by Chechen government officials. It has been over 100 days since GLAAD has called on President Trump to use the power of the presidency and denounce this anti-LGBTQ violence happening in Chechnya, but this call has been treated with silence.
“Politicians and human rights activists across the globe, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, have all condemned the horrific violence in Chechnya. Yet still, President Trump has chosen to remain silent.
“GLAAD has led the charge in calling on the Trump Administration to recognize this humanitarian crisis since the news broke about the anti-LGBTQ attacks and reported concentration camps. Before the White House informed The Washington Blade the attacks did not come up in a meeting between Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit in Germany, GLAAD joined The Council for Global Equality and many others in releasing a letter calling on the Trump Administration to address the anti-LGBTQ attacks in Chechnya. Prior to the letter, GLAAD also called on Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to recognize the attacks and use the United States’ presence in the United Nations to condemn the attacks. After a week-long online campaign where thousands of supporters joined GLAAD’s voice, Haley denounced the violence in Chechnya. However, President Trump – the leader of the United States of America – remains silent.”
