Dear friends,
When I was 15, my family found out that I'm gay. In Chechnya, where I'm from, this can be like a death sentence.
For three years, they tortured and abused me. They drugged me, beat me, and gave me electric shocks to try and "cure" me from being gay.
I didn't think things could get any worse, but last year I became a part of Chechnya's "gay purge." My boyfriend worked for the government and told me I was on a list of targeted men. Shortly after, he disappeared and I never heard from him again.
I was terrified and knew I had to get out of Chechnya, so I fled to Russia. It was my only option.
Life in Russia still isn't safe. LGBT+ people are treated terribly, partly thanks to Russia's notorious "Gay Propaganda Law," which makes even talking about my identity a crime. I'm trying to get relocated to a safer country, but the asylum process can take years.
There's a group here trying to help me. They're called Stimul and they can provide secret and safe temporary housing for LGBT+ refugees while we work on getting out of Russia. Stimul just needs the funds to do it.
I'm not the only LGBT+ refugee from Chechnya stuck here in Russia. There are many of us, but we have to be extremely careful not to expose our identities.
Getting out of Chechnya alive was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Those caught by the government under suspicion of being gay or bisexual were detained, kept in secret prisons, and tortured. Some were murdered.
Many men who managed to escape or get released, ended up disappearing, likely victims of "honour killings" by their families.
I had no choice but to leave my home in Chechnya for Russia. But I need your help to stay safe while I try to get asylum somewhere else.
Thanks for going All Out,
Ibrahim*
* I'm not using my real name to make sure I'm safe.
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