Reveal
Russia's new scapegoats
In light of recent reports about Chechnya's anti-gay kidnappings, torture and killings, we revisit stories that expose what it's like to be gay in Russia. Reveal traces the roots of the anti-gay movement and shows how President Vladimir Putin uses this agenda to quash political dissent, exert influence on neighboring nations and bash the West.
By Al Letson • • 1 min readOur hour begins with a look at the situation in Chechnya and how it's connected to what's going on throughout Russia.
After that we revisit an investigation that Coda Story's Amy Mackinnon brings us from St. Petersburg. She tells the story of a gay Russian journalist who was murdered in his apartment by a suspect who proudly calls himself "the cleaner." She talks to a politician whose homophobic laws and rhetoric have unleashed this kind of violence, and to a vigilante who has targeted dozens of gay and lesbian teachers.
Putin's anti-gay policies are finding surprising support in our own backyard. The next segment takes us to a conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, organized by the World Congress on Families, which is based in Illinois. Coda Story's Natalia Antelava introduces us to one of Putin's closest allies, who is developing connections with anti-gay activists in the US and around the world.
Putin and his government have been selling their anti-gay message to the Russian people using the state-run media. In our final segment, we hear about the propaganda that Russians are consuming on a daily basis on the evening news.
Learn more or listen again to this week's episode.
Illustration: Anna Vignet/Reveal