March 28, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

When They Go Low, We Go High (Fashion)

Scoop Models, the Denmark fashion brand Won Hundred, and Amnesty International are taking the Chechen gay genocide into their own hands with a powerful new campaign. “Love is Not a Crime,” a photography series and pop-up fashion line, is made to underscore the horrors of Chechnya’s current political policy regarding homosexuality: One which rounds up gay men, tortures them, and hopes to banish the presence of male homosexuality by the end of its campaign.

amnesty-international-chechnya-gay-genocide-scoop-won-hundred

“Love is Not a Crime” might not seem like the most hands-on way to fight the injustice going on in Chechnya, but it’s a start. Each tee goes for around $40, and the proceeds go straight to Amnesty International. Marco Van Rijt shot the campaign, featuring named couples standing close together. Some are side by side in black and white, some are made up in extravagant eyeliner and lipstick. Some have shaved heads and bare chests. And some are kissing.

amnesty-international-chechnya-gay-genocide-scoop-won-hundred

“Abuse of homosexuals is occurring in many places around the world,” said Amnesty International campaign director Helle Jacobsen, “but in Chechnya, we can see that it is a targeted hunt with its only purpose to attack all homosexual men. That is why it is crucial that Denmark and other countries not only put pressure on Russia and Chechnya, but also offer to help the desperate men in severe danger.” 

Related Posts

GAY LA – When Drag Was All the Rage (But Queerness Wasn’t)

August 6, 2019

August 6, 2019

Today, it’s not hard to find drag culture wherever you are. From VH1, to Netflix, to Twitter, the language of...

GAY LA: The Fate of Damron Address Book?

July 14, 2019

July 14, 2019

Before AIDS, Airbnb and Grindr changed the face of gay life forever, there were limited ways of finding your people,...

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: This is Queer Family

July 11, 2019

July 11, 2019

Queer representation is every-evolving, ever-progressing. Yet, it can still be frustrating trying to identify with mainstream media. We all want...

Crowning the Kollectin Queen

July 8, 2019

July 8, 2019

By Melanie Camp After finishing her first season on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Gia Ichikawa said she found herself confused. While...

OUT LOUD Art Festival in LB Examines the Queer Future

June 27, 2019

June 27, 2019

What does the Queer Future look like? A simply, yet vastly complicated question. The exact query that the OUT LOUD...

Brave Trails Summer Camp for Queer Youth

June 27, 2019

June 27, 2019

The campers at  Brave Trails are told, above all else, they get a “second family” while participating in this Los...

“LGBTQ of Steel” Reflects Queer Community’s Strength

June 20, 2019

June 20, 2019

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Picture this: A group of LGBTQ individuals who bravely and without...

Going Bak in Time with a Photographer

May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019

Spying a thirteen-year-old Sunny Bak, amongst a crowd of New York paparazzi, Elizabeth Taylor showed concern that the young photographer...

Spillin’ Tea with Willam

May 29, 2019

May 29, 2019

When she’s not on your television or making appearances at DragCon L.A., Willam Belli, the famous Drag Queen, is amping...

GAY LA: Their Name Still Spells “Lesbian”

May 29, 2019

May 29, 2019

When SCWU, or Southern California Women for Understanding, started up in 1976, it quickly became the largest lesbian society in...

The Revolution Will Be Televised

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

For the first time ever, the L.A. Pride parade will air on live television.  When the first Los Angeles Pride...

Asking Long Beachers the meaning of “Pride”

May 21, 2019

May 21, 2019

The Pride L.A. asks Long Beach Pride guests why the event is important to them. By Jorge Paniagua Long Beach...

GAY L.A. – Long Beach’s Central Place in Queer L.A. History

May 11, 2019

May 11, 2019

From an era-defining raid to a gentrification hotspot, a breakdown of Long Beach’s part in the movement. Long Beach’s queer...

PLAY PREVIEW: “Daniel’s Husband” Pushes Envelope on Love

April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019

There is the rule of law, and there are the laws of the heart. The Fountain Theatre’s “Daniel’s Husband” asks...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Defending the Rainbow Flag Creator

April 13, 2019

April 13, 2019

In response to a “Letter to the Editor” regarding the true identity for the historic rainbow flag creator My name...