Living in Fear: Russia’s Hunt for Those Who Are Gay

  “It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love, or how you love, it only matters that you love”- John Lennon

As humans, we all have our opinions. What we do, what we say, what we think, it’s all based on who we are; it’s all just a personal view. We learn to respect each others views, listen to each others opinions, and that when you have nothing good to say that you say nothing at all. As you grow up you find yourself not caring what others think about you, because it’s you. So why should it matter to us if someone thinks, acts, or appears different. We spent so much time judging others while trying to convince ourselves that we don’t care what others think of us that we created a loop of hypocrisy that grew into ignorance.

We try to fight the ignorance today by opening everyone’s eyes. But some places just cannot be changed. Today that ignorance still grows in other areas. The ignorance has grown so vast that people are being consumed by it. In Russia, many men and women are living in petrifying fear. Why? Because those men and women have a different view of love, a love that looks at the same gender with just as much passion as two different genders would have for one another.

These people are being tricked into meetings that what they thought would be an engaging evening with the same sex, that turned out to be  a brutal embarrassing night of beatings and harassment by a group of homophobes. A group known as “Occupy Pedophilia” contains “violence loving vigilantes” that share their strong opinion of homosexuals and express it through extreme matters. The group is known for trapping gay men then harassing them on video so that they will lose their jobs and be publicly ridiculed once said video is uploaded online. The police are doing very little about these hate crimes and some even join in.

What the Media Has to Say:

MSNBC On Documentary- Hunted In Russia 

Photos of People Protest Russia’s Ban on Gays at Olympics:

Documentary- Hunted in Russia

 

 

Why Is This Significant?

Throughout history we have been faced with all sorts of discrimination. We have spent so much time and effort to establish equality for all whether Black or White, Man or Woman, Gay or Straight. Why would this be so important? Because there come times where the people who have different opinions take it to a new level. That level contains harassment, public ridicule, abuse, and much more. If freedom is to be established, there must be equality. But for there to be equality, we must not turn a blind eye and instead do what it takes to see the day where no matter who you are, you can safely walk the streets and express yourself.

 

 

Juarez, Mexico: Where have the women gone?

As time has gone by so have the lives of the innocent. Although not every case can be solved, effort can be put behind it. But sadly, it appears that effort isn’t being presented in Juarez, Mexico. Impunity has been spread among the minds of those in Juarez, as women are being killed and or have gone missing within every year to come. Families and friends have been questioning why the police are showing no effort to find who is responsible for any of this. It seems that as investigations begin, shortly after are they given up on. Although many have been arrested due to confession, the killing has not stopped. Families are beginning to lose hope in justice as every year they are reminded of the horrific murder as police release news of newly found dead bodies. In 2012, there was about 60+ killings counted making 2012 the most scene murders yet. Women are reported being found raped, having multiple stab wounds, mutilated breasts, crushed heads, burns, etc. all being found at the same general area that is now known as a mass grave site. Along with these murders, women have also gone missing. There was a count of about 100+ women reported missing between 2010-2011. The families and friends of these women have grown tired of sitting in silence as more women are being attacked and going missing;to help bring awareness, a group of young women have began using hip hop and street art to express the violence that have occurred over the years.

Why is this significant to us? As a women I feel extremely uncomfortable hearing about this. The fact that this is addressed as a “femicide” leaves me in fear. Wouldn’t it to you? Imagine the day that your daughter, your niece, your mother, your aunt, any of them were to go to Mexico and never to come back again, its terrifying. But what makes it worse is that no one there will do anything about it, in fact you would be lucky if they even found out who killed them let alone put them in jail.

Read more about it from these articles:

What those have to say about the impunity 

About the cases 

New York Times article 

Video on a girl who escaped from human trafficking ring 

Government Music Video Project

https://animoto.com/play/gC4eX1ioEiZ1eZJRD0y51Q