Argentina grants asylum to young gay fleeing Russian discrimination
The question becomes -- why aren't we doing the same?
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/10/20/argentina-grants-asylum-to-young-gay-fleeing-russian-discrimination/
Argentina grants asylum to young gay fleeing Russian discrimination
Published October 20, 2014
The Argentine government granted the "condition of refugee" to a young Russian gay man who escaped from his country where he was the victim of discrimination and violence because of his sexual orientation, something the South American country had never done before, the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals, or Falgbt, told Efe on Monday.
Argentina's National Refugee Commission (Conare) accepted the petition after acknowledging in a report the harassment suffered by the 28-year-old man and the lack of government protection for sexual minorities in Russia.
The young man, called "Gene" in the report to protect his privacy, left his homeland because of the constant harassment he received, and two years ago asked the Falgbt for help through a contact he met on social networks.
"We hope that starting with this first case, Argentina will be positioned as a refugee destination," Falgbt President Esteban Paulon, who took Gene's case to the government commission, told Efe....
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And it's gotten worse, somehow. 
I'm glad Gene was able to receive asylum. Years ago, I was acquainted with a gay Russian who'd fled for asylum in Finland, and I'm talking probably 15 years ago. How remarkable to consider how times have changed for gay people in the West since 2000, as opposed to Russia where things are probably worse today than they were then, but at any rate, certainly no better.
