Thirty-one gay and bisexual Chechen men and women have been granted asylum in Canada following a violent crackdown on LGTB people in the Russian republic. They are being brought to Canada as part of an under-the-radar collaboration between human rights groups and the federal government.
The U.S. Department of State’s recently included same-sex partners as a family reunification refugee priority category, improving access to the refugee program for LGBT families.
"The Human Rights Campaign-led group will push for protections in the workplace globally, including in countries where LGBT individuals face legal discrimination or harassment."
Moscow’s first gay pride parade was held in May 2006, thirteen years after homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, the beginning of a new era of openness for the LGBT community. It didn’t quite work out that way.
