Chechnya through the eyes of the author of the telegrams of the Lesbian Lobby channel

One of the authors of the telegrams of the Lesbian Lobby channel wrote a text about her impressions of a trip to Chechnya. She writes that Chechnya is the worst place in Russia for women and LGBT people.

Tourists are not afraid - in Grozny it is safe and clean. But it’s strange: the photos from the time of the war, the Grozny City skyscrapers shine with a rainbow, a remake mosque before your eyes, and portraits of Akhmat Kadyrov above your head. There is a European-looking street (Putin Avenue), specialty-coffee in the main hip-shop Ramozoti (even got into Inc) and a square in the memory of journalists (and who killed Politkovskaya?).

There are almost no cameras in Grozny, but instead of them one can feel the views of the police and other people watching - a kind of Gilead. The denunciation system is alive, says my companion.

The tour was conducted by a young Chechen, unlike local girls. All communication I thought about how she lived to her age and why I have not left here.

I went to Chechnya on a different topic, but could not help but ask about the LGBT issue. We do not whisper in discussion of gays and lesbians, but nobody (it seems) pays attention to us; my colleague’s rainbow bracelet also didn’t raise any questions. Intuition says that I exchanged a few words with local LGBT people, but it would be dangerous to speak openly. At the same time, the companion cheerfully and humorously told terrible stories.

❌ Lesbians can’t live freely in Chechnya, of course. Some locals sincerely believe that there are no homosexuals here - I became a witness to such a statement. It is doubly difficult for girls, because they are deprived of independence - it is possible to exist either with parents or with a husband.

❌ It is also impossible to stand out externally. Women cannot walk in trousers (an exception for tourists) and smoke (no exceptions). Many wear hijabs, but not all.

❗ Non-heterosexual women do not turn to local psychologists, because they do not trust. Not surprisingly, psychologists suggest "banishing genies."

❌ Homosexuals have no special places for dating, applications do not help - it's too dangerous. Most often they meet with friends in apartments. Also, through friends, authorities catch LGBT people.

️ ❌ Lesbians are forced to marry so as not to arouse suspicion. Even with an understanding husband, you have to have sex and give birth to children. Otherwise, families will crush. Some maintain homosexual relationships "on the side." Divorce for a woman in Chechnya, by the way, is a stigma for life.

❌ Very rarely fictitious marriages are made between gays and lesbians. But the absence of children can cause suspicion among relatives.

‼ Homosexual men are worse off than women. Not only among the older generation, but also among young people. Chechens (even very religious ones) love the so-called. lesbian porn. But when confronted with the authorities, women are much worse off.

If a girl was taken to the basement (the so-called police station) on suspicion of homosexual relations, then she is unlikely to be able to return alive. Otherwise, the family will commit honor killing. About the dead they usually say "missing."

❌ Most LGBT people try to leave Chechnya. This is not easy - firstly, they don’t know where to turn. Secondly, a strong connection with family and land. Thirdly, the diaspora has long arms - they can return to their homeland. There have been cases.

Georgia is a country where some residents of Chechnya first learned about LGBT people. There are Chechen gays who walked without documents to Tbilisi through the mountains, through Tusheti (look at the map to see how hard it is). Georgia against the background of the rest of the Caucasus is really a stronghold of democracy and tolerance.

❌ Human rights activists help women and LGBT people in Chechnya - all in secrecy. As a rule, non-hetero people have to leave the country. They need the help of psychologists (real) and lawyers.

❌ I was scared at night because of one situation - I had to support the door handle in the room with a table, realizing all the meaninglessness. During the day they joked nervously, like the locals: “If you are detained, I will write to Ramzan“ my girlfriend is not a lesbian, please let her go ”.”

I saw that Moscow in value is much closer to Stockholm than Grozny. But Chechnya is part of Russia.

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