I Neknominate You!

'Neknominations' have been taking youtube and society by storm. It's a trend that is deemed more important than exercising, or eating breakfast. It has become an internet sensation consisting of intelligent human beings consuming things like fish-heads, raw eggs and urine. Now I have nothing against entertainment but what I find utterly inconceivable is that videos like 'Neknominations' can escalate in mere minutes to hundreds of thousands of views - whilst videos like this one, go almost unnoticed. This is not a review, but it is something I feel strong enough to write about.

This is Russia, 2014. We have seen violence like this before. It begins with humiliation, it progresses to organised hate crimes carried out by groups, it becomes a believed ideology. It is absolutely disgusting that this is happening now, today. In OUR society. Have we not learned from atrocities of the past?


If it isn't a video of a dog running into a glass door or someone throwing up a milk-coloured rainbow, the world doesn't care.

As the video shows above, violence against LGBT communities in Russia is unprecedented, irrational and completely unacceptable. Those who we would turn to in a time of need, turn their backs upon 'gay' people in Russia. The police ignore it, the government encourage it and WE must act to prevent it. Sexuality is not something that can be, or needs to be cured. What DOES need to be cured is the absolutely repugnant belief in an ideology that sets out to harm these innocent people in ways we would not believe possible in modern society.

Many of my friends cannot watch the video above all of the way through. Seeing indirect clips of forced self-rape and inexpressible humiliation is too much for most of us to bear. Yet, in Russia today, there are those who are forced to endure it, with no repercussions for the perpetrators.

And just in case anyone reading this feels as though it is nothing to do with them - it is not YOUR problem to solve. I share this poem, written by Martin Niemoller following the Nazi rise to power in the early 1900s:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

So yes, this may not be a review of a film, but it certainly expresses a need for us to review ourselves, and review society. This CANNOT GO ON. I urge you to share this video - in fact - I NEKNOMINATE YOU - To do all you can to make others aware of just HOW BAD things are and to help in any way possible to shame anyone who shares such an ideology, as the despicable human beings featured torturing innocents in this video.

Let's hijak the #neknominations twitter hashtag. All those on twitter please tweet the following: For #LGBT #humanrights in #Russia : I #neknominate you! ……http://watchinabitotheatrenstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/i-neknominate-you.html … … RT to shame the perpetrators and encourage swift action!

Who will you nominate to do the same?

Also catch the new UK documentary to be broadcast on the Channel 4 series Dispatches this week as it reveals the violent intimidation meted out to gay and lesbian people in Russia by hate groups Occupy Paedophilia and Parents of Russia.
'The Hunted', will be shown on Wednesday at 10pm and shows how gangs use the internet to lure potential victims to meetings, where they are forced to perform humiliating acts under the threat of violence.