Dear Luc,
Being an LGBT+ activist in Russia has always been tough. But now a group acting under the name "Saw" (a reference to the violent and gory horror movie) has published a website promoting a "Chechnya Comeback," referring to the wave of attacks against LGBT+ people in Chechnya.
The group has published an anti-LGBT+ blacklist, encouraging their readers to hunt down dozens of Russian LGBT+ activists, supporters, and journalists.
My name is Misha Tumasov and I'm on that list – just like Elena Grigoryeva, who was brutally murdered near her home in St. Petersburg a couple of weeks ago.
The website was shut down several times, but it has come back online every time a few weeks later because the police never investigated the website owners.
In my 10 years of LGBT+ activism in Russia, I have received several threats online. To protect my partner and myself, I even had to leave my hometown, Samara, where I co-founded the first regional LGBT+ organization.
But I've never seen such an organized approach to homophobic violence before.
I thought I'd be safer in St. Petersburg, but the murder of Elena proved me wrong. My family is very concerned about my safety. No one can feel safe in Russia until these criminals are brought to justice.
Thanks for going All Out,
Misha Tumasov,
Russian LGBT Network
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