NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today joined The Council for Global Equality, a coalition of international human rights activists, foreign policy experts, LGBTQ leaders, philanthropists, and corporate officials, by issuing a letter which called on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President Donald Trump to use all resources necessary to condemn and address acts of anti-LGBTQ violence within Russia-controlled Chechnya.

“We urge you to raise immediately, and with overdue stress, the need for Russia to investigate these atrocities, and that you explore all tools at your disposal to protect victims and curtail ongoing persecution that Chechen officials might continue to carry out against Russia’s LGBTQ citizenry. We urge, too, that you aggressively pursue refugee resettlement options for those who already have been victimized,” the letter said.

Joining GLAAD and The Council for Global Equality with this letter included: Advocates for Youth, Amnesty International, the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), The Fellowship Council, Global Justice Institute, GLSEN, Heartland Alliance, the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights First, Immigration Equality, International Women’s Health Coalition, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Global Forum on MSM & HIV, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Center for Transgender Equality, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, National LGBTQ Task Force, OutRight Action International, PFLAG, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.  

Politicians and human rights activists across the globe, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, have all condemned the horrific violence in Chechnya. Yet still, President Trump and Secretary Tillerson have remained silent.

Since the news broke about the anti-LGBTQ attacks and reported concentration camps, GLAAD has led the charge in calling on the Trump Administration to recognize this humanitarian crisis. Last month, GLAAD called on Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to recognize the attacks and use the United States’ presence in the United Nations to condemn the attacks. After a week-long online campaign where thousands of supporters joined GLAAD’s voice, Haley denounced the violence in Chechnya. 

It is imperative that Secretary Tillerson and President Trump, in both statement and action, stand up for the vital importance of human rights as a matter of US. policy.

Read the full letter from the entire coalition by clicking here.