THEGAYUK

Tag: Islam

All the latest news with regards to Islam and the gay community.

  • Read Khakan Qureshi’s amazing Warwickshire Pride speech

    Khakan Qureshi was one of Warwickshire Pride’s key speakers… Read his epic speech about being gay, Muslim and dealing with division.

    Being LGBT isn’t about one-upmanship“my oppression is worse than yours”

    No. Being LGBT and holding the flag is about being able to connect with others, understand each other’s struggles regardless of colour, creed or class and not say I’m  as Good As You but say I’m the SAME as you meaning:

    We Are All Human.

    I might look like a politician, but you can be assured I’m not! 

    I was invited to speak at this event as there was a lack of diversity and the organisers wanted persons from minority ethnic backgrounds. They couldn’t get Rupaul so here I am !”

    In the UK, we commemorate 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Long gone are the days when many LGBT were in the closet, discreetly knocking on doors, and entering clubs and bars which were underground and only known to the LGBT community. 50 years of challenging the status quo has brought changes and in recent years we have civil partnerships, the right to adopt and foster and equal marriage.

    We talk about diversity and representation but there is also division and derision.

    On the peripheral looking in, the sense of being different can lead to isolation and in my case, it provided me with a different world view.

    In the mainstream, I was too Asian.

    Within the South Asian community, not Asian enough. 

    I didn’t present to the world a confident young man. 

    I was shy, quiet, an introvert. I didn’t fit in with the gender stereotypes like my brothers and peers, who displayed outward signs of being very much heterosexual men – confident, ambitious, competitive, sporty. 

    Whilst I felt more comfortable at home with my mother and sisters, watching TV, helping them cook and clean, offering them style tips on dress and makeup.

    The more apparent forms of homophobia, although I didn’t recognise it as such at the time, and discrimination came from my brothers who would mock and ridicule, my voice, my mannerisms and my close relationships with the females in the household.

    Later, as I shied away from them, I created my own make-believe world in which they didn’t exist. 

    Unfortunately for me, the bullying didn’t just stop with them. It would sometimes rear its ugly head at school. But again, I was protected by female companions and teachers who realised I was different in the sense I was very creative and could express myself very well in the written word. I daren’t speak up too often, especially after having years of torment from my brothers, brothers in law and peers, about how I spoke or sounded which made feel too embarrassed about my voice. 

    When I spoke up at school, it led to all forms of humiliation and name calling. It identified me as “queer, sissy, gay, batty boy” in amongst other name calling such as “Paki, brown boy, coconut “ and variations on how to pronounce my name –

    Being Muslim and gay, you don’t just deal with coming to terms with it. There’s the cultural oppression and religious guilt to contend with.

    But I was fortunate.

    When I came out, aged 22 to my mum 26 years ago, she said whatever makes you happy makes me happy. 

    And my happiness stems from being in an interracial relationship of 26 years. 

    But in recent years, with the rise of homophobia, bi-phobia, transphobia and Islamophobia, it makes me wonder how far we, as an LGBT community, have really come?

    As a South Asian Muslim gay man, I thought I was part of the LGBT community and found more labels – “curry queen, otters, chapatti queen, bears, rice queen, twinks, daddies” etc. 

    We don’t want our lives and identity defined by labels. 

    I don’t want to be boxed in because of the colour of my skin, my religiosity, my age, my relationships, my sexual orientation. I want to be allowed to be me, burst out of that box and say to the world I am what I am. 

    Religion appears to oppress the LGBT community.

    Being LGBT isn’t about one-upmanship “my oppression is worse than yours” or “Muslims persecute gays, therefore, being white LGBT gives you higher privileges”. 

    No. Being LGBT and holding the flag is about being able to connect with others, understand each other’s struggles regardless of colour, creed or class and not say I’m  as Good As You but say I’m  the SAME as you meaning We Are All Human. 

    Being LGBT, being human means reaching out and overcoming obstacles and difficulties, offering support and understanding, demonstrating compassion and delivering words which say I am with you all the way. 

    We are continually looking outside when we really need to look on the inside and face reality.  

    We are LGBT and your truth is not the same as mine. 

    What I do know is that we need to navigate our own lives in the here and now, be mindful of our circumstances and safety, and not look to what others say or all the yesterdays. 

    Martin Luther King said, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” 

    Acknowledge the past as we can’t change history, try and live for today as we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. 

    Whilst we are trying to be citizens of the world, let’s try and educate and inform others about the A-Z of identities to make future generations more understanding and accepting.

  • Islamic State continue their murderous onslaught towards the gay community

    A man has been executed by the Islamic State, for being gay, THEGAYUK.com has learned.

    **Report contains distressing images**

    Photos have emerged on social media showing Islamic State fighters throwing a man to his death off a tall building in Deir ez-Zor in Syria. Deir ez-Zor is a large city in the east of Syria. ISIS has, historically used this method of killing gay men or men accused of being gay almost exclusively.

    https://twitter.com/Terror_Monitor/status/893881077520932865

    The pictures are dated from the 5th August and show a single man being thrown off a building which is at least five storeys high. death is not always certain for a victim of any fall under seven storeys. Usually, stoning from gathered spectators ensures that the accused dies.

    In these pictures, the accused was wearing all black and has his hands and feet bound.

    Typically, although homosexuality is illegal in the Syrian Arab Republic, it does not attract the death penalty. Men found guilty of homosexual acts are given jailed terms of up to three years. However, in ISIS-held territories, the Islamic law of Sharia is used as their legal system and it holds harsh punishments for those found to be homosexuality or engaging in homosexual acts.

    Homosexuality is against Sharia law and its penalty is death.

    What is forbidden under Sharia law?

    Sharia Law is the legal system used in Islam. Derived from the Koran and fatwas – which are rulings from Islamic scholars, the law acts as a code by which all Muslims should live. Literally, Sharia means “the clear, well-trodden path to water”.

    Islam’s legal system, derived from the Koran
    Informs every aspect of Muslims’ lives
    Islamic jurists issue formal guidance through fatwas, or religious edicts
    Sharia law includes provisions for capital and corporal punishment but modern scholars say getting to that stage can be difficult
    Marriage is treated as a contract in Islam
    From The BBC

  • Peter Tatchell: There is nothing insulting about saying Allah, Jesus, Moses or Buddha is gay

    Human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell has hit out at those who suggest that the”Allah is gay” placards held up a Pride In London were insulting to some Muslims.

     

    Long-time human and gay rights advocate, Peter Tatchell has written an open letter to the organisers of Pride In London after a complaint was lodged by leaders at the East London Mosque.

    The leaders allege that some of the placards held up by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) at the pride were “inciting hatred against Muslims”. On that basis, the leaders made a formal complaint to Pride In London. Organisers for the pride made an initial statement saying that they, “will not tolerate Islamophobia”.

    Mr Tatchell, who was one of the first organisers of the UK’s first pride in 1972, said,

    “The CEMB placards condemned “Homophobes, Islamists, racists.”

    “They supported LGBT Muslims and LGBT people fleeing persecution by Islamic states. One said: “End Islamic hatred and violence to gays.” Others highlighted UK mosques, such as East London and Green Lanes, that have hosted hate preachers who have endorsed or justified the killing of LGBT people.

    Nothing insulting about saying “Allah is gay”

    He continued, Some placards said

    “Some placards said “Allah is gay.” The factual basis of such a claim is questionable. However, since there is nothing wrong or shameful about being gay – and only gay sex acts (not gay people) are condemned in the Qur’an and Hadiths – there is nothing insulting about saying Allah, God, Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Shiva or any other religious figure is gay.

    A person would only say it was insulting if they were anti-LGBT.

    Tatchell went on to commend the actions of CEMB saying,

    “The CEMB’s placards against Islamic homophobia were entirely justified and commendable. We have to oppose Islamic homophobia in the same way that LGBT groups have long opposed Christian and Judaist homophobia.

    “None of the CEMB placards were against Muslim people. They did not incite hate against Muslims. They criticised homophobic religious ideas.”

     

    Calls to allow Ex Muslims to continue marching in future Pride In London events

    Peter also urged Pride In London to reject the complaints from the East London Mosque, saying,

    “I urge you to reject the complaints against the CEMB by the East London mosque and others. Instead, I urge you to ask them to explain why they refuse to have a dialogue with the LGBT community, refuse to publicly challenge homophobia within the Muslim community and why they refuse to publicly acknowledge and support LGBT Muslims”.

  • KATIE HOPKINS | ‘Pride needs to do more to protest Islamic homophobia’

    Katie Hopkins has called on Pride events to protest Islamic homophobia.

    Taking to Twitter today, the controversial commentator Katie Hopkins said that Prides needed to do more to “protest Islamic homophobia”.

    The statement comes a day after she questioned her 802,000 followers on whether a pride event had ever been banned in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. The question was asked after a follower of hers alleged that a pride parade had been banned by the local authority.

    In 2011 the Census revealed that over 30 percent of the borough’s population was Muslim.

    In 2016, a poll conducted by ICM for the Channel 4 programme, What British Muslims Really Think, found that over half of Muslims in the UK thought that homosexuality should illegal. Twenty-three percent also said that they wanted the introduction of Sharia law in the UK.

    Islamophobia and Homophobia

    Earlier this month the East London mosque complained to Pride in London over banners displayed in its Parade by members of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain which it called “offensive”.

    Organisers of the pride said that it would “not tolerate Islamophobia”.

    Homosexuality is currently banned in over 70 countries and 10 have the death penalty for homosexual acts. Homosexuality is illegal in most Muslim-majority countries.

  • Pride In London: “We will not tolerate Islamophobia”

    A complaint has been lodged with the organisers of Pride In London over “Allah is gay” placards were allegedly displayed by members of a walking group in this year’s parade. Organisers of pride have issued a statement saying they will not tolerate Islamophobia.

    Muslim leaders in London have lodged a complaint with Pride In London after members of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain CEMB took part in this year’s parade. The group allegedly held up placards with slogans such as “F*** Islamic homophobia”, “East London Mosque incites murder of LGBTs”, and “Throw ISIS off the roof”.

    Speaking to the Evening Standard Salman Farsi from the East London Mosque said that a complaint had been made.

    “We’ve raised a complaint with the co-chairs of the event that the group was inciting hatred against Muslims, and in particular [in relation] to our good name, based on absolutely groundless reasons.

    “Our track record for challenging homophobia in East London is quite well known. For us to see such a mainstream event that is supposed to celebrate tolerance and love used as a hate platform was really quite shocking.

    “Our religion doesn’t promote hatred or homophobia. Yes, there might be theological topics dealing with homosexuality in Islam, but that’s clearly very separate from promoting hatred and homophobia.”

    A spokesperson for Pride In London said,

    “If anyone taking part in our parade makes someone feel ostracised, discriminated against or humiliated, then they are undermining and breaking the very principles on which we exist. Our code of conduct is very clear on this matter.

    “All volunteers, staff and parade groups agree that Pride celebrates diversity and will not tolerate any discrimination of any kind.

    “While our parade has always been a home to protest, which often means conflicting points of view, Pride must always be a movement of acceptance, diversity and unity. We will not tolerate Islamophobia.”

    CEMB Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie said in a blog post on the CEMB website,

    “…the very reason CEMB was at Pride was to combat hate and to highlight the 13 states under Islamic rule that kill gay men (14 if we include Daesh-held territories). We included placards on the East London mosque to bring attention to the fact that there are mosques here in Britain that promote the death penalty for homosexuality and apostasy.

    As ex-Muslims, we are at risk from hate preachers that speak at some mosques and universities; our  gay members are at an increased risk.

    The East London Mosque has a long history of hosting hate preachers who incite against blasphemers, apostates and homosexuals so we felt naming and shaming them was very apt.

     

     

  • COMMENT | Can you be Muslim and gay?

    There is a certain taboo within Islam that does not ever get discussed in a positive way.

    You only need to look at recent news in Chechnya to see how gay people are mistreated and abused. Over the past few years there have been increases in attacks on gay people in predominantly Muslim countries, and often people are violently and fatally attacked for their sexuality. Islam paints a picture that it will not accept gay people, and this has been the doctrine of thought for many many years. It is, therefore, a struggle for young gay Muslims, such as myself, to come to terms with our sexuality and faith. I realise the two aspects of my life do not go hand in hand. In fact, the majority of the major religions have no accepting views on homosexuality. From a biological standpoint, I understand this. If everyone was gay then life as we know it would cease to exist. Try as hard as you may two guys cannot reproduce with one another. This lead me to read more about my religion and understand the scriptures that are written in the Quran regarding homosexuality. My hope from this research was to find a way to reconcile the two aspects of my life that were conflicting.

    The Quran relays a story about the people of Sodom and Gomorra. Those that are familiar with Christianity and Judaism will also know of this story. It tells of a place where men were having sex with other men and shunning their wives. God sent the prophet Lot, to these people to show them the error of their ways and persuade them to give up the life of sin. He commented on how lewdness between two men should be punished. The story goes on to state that these people were wiped out as they refused to give up their sinning ways.

    The hadith (which is the sayings and practices of our Prophet Muhammad) states that he cursed effeminate men (Sahih Al-Bukhari, book 72, hadith 774), and that he states that if anyone was committing sodomy (i.e anal sex) that both the giver and receiver should be stoned to death (Al-Trimidhi, book 1, hadith 152). I realise this gives the impression that Islam is a violent and torturous religion, but this is not the case. You have to remember that these teachings and scriptures are thousands of years old and this was a different time. There are also passages that state anal sex is forbidden even if done with a female partner. As a Sunni Muslim, however, I believe in the two major hadiths Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Whilst they do not say you have to kill homosexuals, they are grey on the subject as to whether the punishable act is gay sex or shunning women.

    So the religion is somewhat clear on its status with gay people and homosexuality. Therefore as a Muslim, I cannot be both gay and religious? Well yes and no. Religion is something that people hold dear and people use as guides for their lives. Religion teaches us to be good people and respect others. One can argue that being a good person does not mean you have to be religious and I agree. For me personally, my religion has always been with me, and I understood that before I understood that I was gay. So you may ask how I reconciled it with myself. I went through a particularly religious period of my life. I was praying 5 times a day and not giving into lustful thoughts. However, after a while, I questioned what I was doing. One of the ‘solutions’ to being gay that most scholars say is to not think about it and act on your feelings. Pray more and beg Allah to put you on the right path. Purify your heart and your soul will be cleansed too. Things like this, which sound wishy washy but do work for some people. I tried this, and it didn’t work. I still felt gay feelings, which is natural to me as I was born this way. Heterosexual people reading that ask yourself when you chose to be straight, then ask me when I chose to be gay. If you can’t remember or feel you didn’t have to choose, then neither did I.

    Ergo we were both born the way we were. I can still recall meeting a very religious man when I was 12, who is in the bloodline of the prophet Muhammad and after looking at me for a minute stated that I was ‘different’ to my brothers. Maybe he saw that I was gay? Who knows. But I am different and I am ok with that. So prayer was not helping. I did give it up as my thought was even if I do pray and do everything right, I will still be condemned in Islam for being gay.

    My next factor was my personal happiness. A lot of gay Muslims feel pressure from their families to be married. This is especially prevalent in the Asian communities. I feel the pressure all the time. I could tell my family and be disowned (probably – I have heard of very rare cases when parents have accepted it) or get married to a woman and live a lie. This is the same decision a lot of young gay Muslim men (and women) face. I personally couldn’t do that. It would mean sacrificing my happiness and ruining another person’s life. She would deserve a relationship where she is wanted and have intimacy. Recently I was talking to a guy going through the same thing, and he is due to be married. He was saying how he wanted me to be his bit on the side, and I flat out refused. I am not going to hook up with a married person, regardless if the marriage is a sham or not. He was trying to convince me to do the same as it would hurt my parents if I came out. That is true, but it would hurt more if they found out and I lied, had a wedding and got divorced. I value my happiness, and after giving for so long I wanted to be ‘selfish’ for once and think of myself first. Naturally, I have thought about how it would affect my parents, but my understanding is that parents should always want their kids to be happy, so they may come around.

    So I stood with two choices, be religious and be alone, or be happy and maintain a level of religion I am comfortable with. I chose the second option. This means that I will eventually have a gay relationship, but I also hold the five pillars of Islam to heart. I will fast in Ramadan, I will give charity to the poor and needy, I will believe that there is only one God (Allah), I have performed Hajj (the pilgrimage) and I will pray when I want to. Notice none of these pillars, which are the foundation of the religion, state that I have to marry, and that I cannot be gay and do any of them. But I am a realist and realise the religion will not accept me for my sexuality. I just hope that they will accept me for my good nature and kind actions.

    “I am Muslim. I am gay.

    These are two aspects of a more complex me

    I will still continue to be the best Muslim I can,

    and if being gay leads me to eternal damnation then so be it.”.

    I understand that this post is very contradictory, but in my mind, I have separated the two. I am Muslim. I am gay. These are two aspects of a more complex me. I will still continue to be the best Muslim I can, and if being gay leads me to eternal damnation then so be it. I would much rather live a happy life than lying to everyone. Which to me feels like a bigger sin and it has deceit, possible adultery and soul crushing disappointment. I will continue to hope that my good deeds will be greater than my ‘sin’, but I have accepted that they may not be. It won’t stop me from being a good person however; that will never change.

    This is just my way of dealing with it. I am sure others are confused and may have other thoughts. I would be happy to hear from anyone regarding the issues. Also if I have misinterpreted or misquoted the Quran please forgive me. These were my understanding of the scripture.

  • Justin Trudeau wore brilliant Eid Mubarak socks

    In a powerful show of unity, Canada’s President, Justin Trudeau was reaching out to more than just the gay community this past weekend.

    As Toronto Pride was in full swing this year, Canadian President, Justin Trudeau was doing his bit. Proudly waving and joining in with the festivities, but it was what was under his trousers that caused the biggest stir.

    Embed from Getty Images

    To celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Mr Trudeau wore brightly coloured socks with “Eid Muburak” written across them. Eid Murburak means Blessed Eid which is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. The word Eid means”celebration” and Mubarak means “blessed”.

    https://twitter.com/flahertykeely/status/879097657490153472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinknews.co.uk%2F2017%2F06%2F27%2Fthis-is-why-justin-trudeau-wore-ramadan-socks-to-toronto-pride%2F

    Speaking about his decision to wear the socks President Trudeau said,

    “It is all about including people.

    “This is why I am happy to wish a Eid Muburak to everyone of the Muslim faith.

    “It’s all about how we celebrate the multiple layers of identities that make Canada extraordinary and strong, and today we celebrate with the entire LGBTQ community.”

    Last year President Trudeau became the first President to take part in an LGBT+ parade and since his inauguration, he has overseen progressive equality legislation for the LGBT+ community.

  • ISIS claims responsibility for Manchester Bombing

    ISIS have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that has rocked Manchester concert venue.ISIS claims responsibility for manchester bombing

    According to reports, ISIS have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing which ripped through Manchester Arena’s foyer, killing 22 people and injured 59 others. The male which some media outlets have dubbed a “lone wolf” bomber was confirmed, by police, to have died on site.

    The terrorist group released statements through their media outlet which praised the atrocity. It claimed that more than 100 “crusaders” were wounded or killed at the concert which it said was “shameless”.

    The English version said,

    “With Allah’s grace and support, a soldier of the Khilafah [caliphate] managed to place explosive devices in the midst of the gatherings of the crusaders in the British city of Manchester”.

    Speaking at a press conference, the Chief Constable of Manchester’s police force, Ian Hopkins called the bombing the “most horrific” incident that Manchester has faced.

    He said,

    “Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives.  Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones.

    Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Two men lashed 83 TIMES in Indonesia for being found together in bed

    Two men have been lashed 83 times each in the Indonesian province of Aceh after they were caught naked in bed together.

    Two men were lashed in public, upon a stage, in front a mosque in the Indonesian province of Aceh. They were discovered, naked in bed together by a group of vigilantes who broke into their private room.

    The pair, aged 20 and 23 were found together in March and arrested. They have not been identified and were lashed whilst wearing a hood during their punishment.

    A large crowd gathered to watch the brutal punished and reportedly cheered at each lash. According to the BBC, one of the men cried out “”Let this be a lesson to you,” whilst another shouted,  “Do it harder”.

    The men were supposed to receive 85 lashes, but it was reduced to 83 after they spent two months in prison.

    Being gay is not illegal in Indonesia except in the province of Aceh and the city of Palembang in South Sumatra, where elements of Sharia law has been introduced since 1999. These rule could also be applied to non-Muslims in the region.

    In 1999 the Province’s Governor moved to issue limited Sharia-based regulations. Sharia law expressly forbids homosexuality. In 2014 a law was introduced which punished anybody engaging and caught having gay sex with 100 lashes, 100 months in jail or a heavy fine.

    The men were arrested at the end of March. They were taken to Wilayatul Hisbah, a Sharia police station. They both now face 100 lashes as punishment. The entire siege was filmed on a mobile phone.

    This is the first time that anyone has been punished in this way for being gay in Aceh.

     

     

     

     

  • Chechen President: Eliminate All Gay Men By Ramadan

    The President of Chechnya has vowed to eliminate the LGBT community, by the end of May.

    Following the horrific details of gay men being detained, tortured and even killed, in the region, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has said that he wants to eliminate gay men by the start of Ramadan. Up to a hundred men, suspected of being gay are being held, against their wills in what some media outlets have called “concentration camps”.

    Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic faith and begins on the 26th May. Chechnya is a Muslim-majority country.

    According to a Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta,  men, suspected of being gay, disappeared overnight in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Previously a spokesperson for the leader of the Republic denied the reports and claimed that gay people did not exist in the region.

     Speaking in Parliament, Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said,

    “Human rights groups report that these anti-gay campaigns and killings are orchestrated by the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

    “He has carried out other violent campaigns in the past, and this time he is directing his efforts at the LGBT community.

    “Sources have said that he wants the community eliminated by the start of Ramadan.”

    The minister added, “Such comments, attitudes and actions are absolutely beyond contemptible.”

    Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly made the threats on Russian media.

    Sir Alan, continued,

    “Credible reports suggesting that at least four people have been killed and many have been tortured are particularly shocking,

    ‘”Statements by the regional government in Chechnya which appear to condone and incite violence against LGBT people are utterly despicable.”

    FEARING FOR LIFE

    Last week, the journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men revealed she was in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe. Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a “jihad” had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

  • Journalist who broke Chechen gay torture news is in hiding after ‘jihad’ death threats

    The journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men is in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe.

    The Russian journalist who is responsible for breaking the news that Chechen officials had rounded up, tortured and detained men suspected of being gay, has said that she is in hiding and fearing for her life after a “jihad was declared against her”.

    Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a jihad had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

    She said,

    “They reacted [to the story] in a terrifying manner… on April 3, in the biggest mosque in Grozny, 15,000 religious and various types of people came together and announced a Jihad on us… not just me personally, but all journalists at Novaya Gazeta.

    “They said the people at the newspaper who raised this question have damaged the honour of Chechen nation and should be prosecuted.”

    A spokesperson for Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, said, that the report was “lies and disinformation” and claimed that gay people did not “exist in the republic”. The report was even dismissed as a sick April Fool’s joke, by the region’s interior ministry.

    As information continued to circulate about the mass rounding up and detaining of gay men in Chechnya, being referred to as a “gay purge” Baroness Anelay released a statement calling on Russia to investigate the claims.

    The UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May has yet to speak out against the action.