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Today I saw this post (with sources) on tumblr about how gay men are arrested and tortured. At first, I was sceptical, but then I googled Chechnya and saw several articles about this topic. I'm worry that this is might be real.

Sadly it seems it is real.

Chechnya: The New Nazi Germany.

I'm still skeptical myself, but if it's true I think I now have even less respect for Putin. When will Russia stop being one of the world's most homophobic countries?

Chechnya is not exactly Russia. I mean, yes, it is technically a part of Russia, but everything is different there. Their leader is basically a warlord who is being paid a tribute by the Russian central government to stay loyal, keep local population under control, and keep the Chechen separatists in check. It is very different from the "Russian" Russia, and Russians (as in, an ethnic group) and Chechens hate each other.

That being said, the rest of Russia is also fairly homophobic, but nowhere near "being one of the world’s most homophobic countries". I don't think it has much to do with Putin though.

When I look at news like these, I tend to search for possible traces of media sensationalism. Usually you can see some exaggerations. Unfortunately, in this case the literal defense that the Chechenya officals adopted was "it cannot happen, as there are no homosexuals in our country".

No, seriously. Look it up. For fuck's sake. It's the most retarded denial I've ever heard. Even Russia makes up better stories.

This can easily lead to simply confirm what the sources say – there are camps where gay men are tortured and possibly killed, that police are infiltrating dating sites to catch them and put them there… Terrible.

absolute disgusting

Now, Chechen authorities are telling parents to kill their gay children.

Seriously, what the flying fuck is wrong with these people?

This can only go well.

It doesn't help that Chechnya is an Islamic region of Russia, as opposed the the Russian orthodox Christians in most of russia. It doesn't surprise me that Chechnya looks more like Saudi Arabia than the rest of russia on the gay rights front, considering their ideological commonality.