Dear friends,
Attacks against LGBT+ people have already started at the World Cup.
Two men brutally beat a gay couple as they were getting into a cab. One of the victims is in the hospital with a brain injury.
Peter Tatchell, UK LGBT+ rights activist, was arrested in Moscow shortly after for peacefully protesting Russia's failure to protect LGBT+ lives.
Violent threats targeting LGBT+ people coming to Russia for the World Cup have been rampant and terrifying. Militias are reportedly hunting down anyone breaking the country's "gay propaganda law," which makes any public support for queer identities, like waving a rainbow flag, illegal.
There's still a month left until the World Cup ends. That's why we're asking for your help.
Attacks and arrests could continue in the days ahead. And without urgent funds, we won't be able to shine a light on the attacks, defend and protect LGBT+ people, or bring global attention to the abuses of Russian authorities.
All Out has been working with Russian LGBT+ rights activists for years.
All Out members helped fund the emergency evacuation of dozens of Chechen men in danger of being captured, tortured, or murdered for being gay or bisexual last year.
And we were there at the 2014 Russian Sochi Olympics, when All Out members got the International Olympics Committee to officially ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
We urgently need to keep up our work in Russia now, and in the weeks and months ahead. But we need your help to do it.
Thanks for going All Out,
Matt, Sarah, Leandro, Ifeatu, Ana, Yuri, Mathias, and the rest of the All Out team.
P.S. If you're in Russia, our partners have set up helplines to support LGBT+ people who run into trouble during the World Cup:
- In Moscow: contact Stimul at +7 (495) 241 03 10.
- In St Petersburg: contact Coming Out at +7 (953) 170 97 71 or worldcup@comingoutspb.ru.
- In other cities: contact the Russian LGBT Network at +7 (952) 230 19 31 or legalhelp@lgbtnet.org.
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