Russia just got a whole lot scarier for gays

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April 30, 2018 | Sex & Society

Russia just got a whole lot scarier for gays

Dangerous Saw inspired "game" targets gays in Russia.

The attack on the LGBT community in Russia has taken a very dark turn. There is a new website -- inspired by the Saw movies -- in which people can "report" real queer people for others to hunt down and torture.

The site refers to itself as "Chechnya's Comeback"; three men have already been violently attacked because of it. The men reached out to the Russian LGBT Network to report what happened to them, and claimed that there were other victims too afraid to come forward.

The website has even found a way to monetize the whole horrific affair.

First, users report people who are gay, uploading contact info, home addresses and even photos. Then, for 200 rubles (around $3.50 US), you can access the list and find local gays to terrorize. For 1,500 rubles, anyone on the list can have their information removed.

The website has listed several days in May for the next round of attacks. Most of the targets are located in Ufa, south-east Russia.

The good news: access to the website has now been blocked. The bad news: it still exists in some form on social media, where possible attacks are still being discussed.

"This is terrifying," Mikhail Tumasov, the chairman of the Russia LGBT Network, said: "I've never seen anything like this. The killing and torturing of gay people, they call it a game.

"It's the first time we have seen an organised approach to homophobic violence, it's very dangerous."

He warned the Russian queer community to be especially careful online. "Be very careful about online invitations to date, make sure you have a friend coming with you if you are meeting someone online for the first time."

You really have to hope there's a special kind of hell for homophobes.

April 30, 2018 | Sex & Society

Russia just got a whole lot scarier for gays

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