Accessibility links

Breaking News

LGBT Activist Shames Russia's 'Beautiful People' Who Want Her Dead

They're hugging their children, holding flowers, and smiling cheerfully into the camera.

They also think gay-rights advocates deserve to die, according to a Russian group reaching out to young lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT).

Yelena Klimova is the founder of Children-404, an online forum where gay Russian teens can speak freely about their struggles in the deeply homophobic country.

To illustrate the rampant violence and harassment that sexual minorities face in Russia, Klimova has compiled photographs of some of her most rabid critics gleaned from social-networking sites.

The album, titled "Beautiful people and what they say to me," features pictures of benign-looking men and women captioned with the obscene, hate-filled messages Klimova says they have sent her online.

She posted the photos on April 20 on VKontakte, Russia's most popular social network.

"Since beautiful people write to me often, it will be updated often," she wrote. "It was created to appreciate the contrasts and variety of life. Enjoy."

16x9 Image

Claire Bigg

Claire Bigg covers Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet world, with a focus on human rights, civil society, and social issues.

XS
SM
MD
LG