Political Quotes

“Madam President, today, with deep concerns, I wish to speak about the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer--LGBTQ--individuals in Chechnya, in southern Russia. Starting in early April of this year, news reports from the region told the horrific story of gay men being detained, tortured, and in some cases killed on the basis of their sexual orientation. At lease 100 gay men--and according to some press reports, as many as several hundred--were held and tortured in secret detention facilities in Chechyna. At least three men were killed: one after being tortured by authorities and two following calls by local officials encouraging so- called honor killings. As one Russian gay rights activist noted, ``there is little doubt that we are dealing with crimes against humanity.'' Stories of men being tortured and interrogated to reveal fellow LGBTQ individuals are also deeply disturbing. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, has made a number of troubling comments that LGBTQ individuals ``don't exist'' in Chechnya, an abhorrent denial of the human rights of LGBTQ individuals in Chechnya. According to accounts by the British Foreign Ministry, Kadyrov is planning to ``eliminate'' gay men in Chechnya before the beginning of the religious month of Ramadan at the end of May.…”