NY Times Op-Ed: "Time Is Not On The Side Of Gay People" Living In Chechnya

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov

In an op-ed this morning, the New York Times challenges the Trump administration to provide stronger international leadership regarding the rounding up, torturing and killing of gays in Chechnya.

The crimes in Chechnya have presented the Trump administration with its first major test on this issue on the international stage. Last Monday, Nikki Haley, the American ambassador to the United Nations, issued a strong statement calling for a prompt investigation and accountability for the culprits.

“We are against all forms of discrimination, including against people based on sexual orientation,” Ms. Haley said. “When left unchecked, discrimination and human rights abuses can lead to destabilization and conflict.”

It would be encouraging to see Ms. Haley take on this cause with as much passion and perseverance as her predecessor, Samantha Power. Without American leadership, forging a global consensus that gay rights are human rights will take longer. Time is not on the side of gay people living in terror in places like Chechnya.

Even as reporting shows the situation growing more dire by the day, Chechen and Russian officials continue to deny the horrific events.

Over the weekend it was reported that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has hopes to eradicate all gays in his country before Ramadan on May 26.