Activists Protest Russia’s Queer Purge

Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend…

This past Sunday, queer activists stormed New York City’s Russian Consulate in protest of what LGBTQ people are facing in the Russian republic.

According to New Now Next, the protest included a vigil and a memorial. Protesters held signs with slogans like “Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere,” “You are loved,” and “We see you.”

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????Standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya with @voices4_ and activists at the Russian Consulate in NYC. ????️‍????✊ Go to our Instagram story to see this protest and vigil.
A post shared by Logo (@logotv) on Jan 20, 2019 at 11:14am PST

Protesters were allegedly asked to leave by the NYPD, who claimed that they did not have jurisdiction over the steps of the Consulate.

Survivors of the purge in Chechnya claim that queer people are being detained, tortured, and forced to out others. The government still denies this, instead saying LGBTQ people do not exist in the country.

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Addison Herron-Wheeler

Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend to dogs everywhere. She enjoys long walks in the darkness away from any sources of sunlight, rainy days, and painfully dry comedy. She also covers cannabis and heavy metal, and is author of Wicked Woman: Women in Metal from the 1960s to Now and Respirator, a short story collection.