Undercover in Russia

I came across this interesting article recently that I wanted to share. It's an account of the gay men who fled Chechnya's purge and are now living undercover in Putin's Russia. The police in Chechnya would conduct raids and arrest people who they had reason to believe were gay. They were tortured and detained until they gave up names of other gay men. Chechnya's government supports Putin explicitly. L.G.B.T. people have been a prime target of Kremlin propaganda since 2012. That year, Putin returned to the Presidency for a third term, amid mass protests.

Many of the men caught up in the sweep are married. There seems to be no blueprint to be gay in Chechnya, no community to attach yourself to. Many felt that their families would make them real men.

The article follows different men and their experiences, and it's very interesting to read.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/03/the-gay-men-who-fled-chechnyas-purge