Everyone in the West is watching, mouths agape, as gay rights in Russia rapidly disintegrate; but for the LGBT folks who live in Russia the situation isn’t just shocking and embarrassing, it’s terrifyingly real and a genuine worry.
LGBT activist Lena Kilmova recently set up a VKontakte group (the Russian equivalent of Facebook) called “Beautiful People and What They Say to Me”. This page showcases shocking homophobic threats she’s received alongside the lovely cutesy profile image of the person who sent them. Simple and effective.
Images VIA
Why was Kilmova receiving so many death threats? Her only crime was to set up a VKontakte page for the LGBT community. Her page – ‘Children 404’ – provides space for teenagers to discuss their gay experiences and support each other. Anti-homosexual feeling is so strong in Russia that the page was closed down by a court order. The crime? – spreading “gay propaganda“.
Since the court order came into effect late last month, the promise of violence and death threats has increased. Kilmova decided to air the venom publicly.
Click through the vengeful horror over the following slides:
Sasha
When are you finally going to close your fucked-up group. I hate this shit. Gunning you down, you little bitch, is just the beginning of what you deserve.
