"Dozhd": transgender tells about first persecutions of gays in Chechnya

A native of Chechnya was forced to leave Russia for the United States after she received two stabbings in Moscow. According to the woman, who was born a man, but changed the sex, the persecutions of people of non-traditional sexual orientation began in Chechnya back in 2007, the “Dozhd” (Rain) TV Channel reports.

"According to Leyla (the name is changed), who calls herself the first Chechen transgender, the attack on her occurred in October 2015 in the Presnya District of Moscow; and she was hospitalized with an extensive lung trauma. The attackers shouted, ‘When will you stop shaming your clan?’,” states the article "First Chechen transgender fled to USA", posted on the website of the TV channel on May 18.

According to the article, which quotes the transgender, shortly before the attack, her relatives in Chechnya were by unknown men, who demanded to organize her murder. They also demanded from family members to force Leyla to publicly deny that she has changed her sex. Law enforcement bodies refused to accept applications about the threats.

According to the transgender, in 2002 she worked for the administration of Chechen president and met the then head of the republic Akhmat Kadyrov; and "she noticed no negative reaction on his part, although her eyebrows were pulled out and it was visible that she stood out from the crowd."

The “Dozhd” notes that it has received confirming of her identity from Leyla and the rights defenders, who had helped her to escape.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.