KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — (10-15-21) — LGBTQ people in Afghanistan are being hunted down by the Taliban. They are currently living in fear and are worried they will be found, persecuted and killed by the Taliban.

Kimahli Powell, executive director of Rainbow Railroad, talked to CBSN’s Tanya Rivero about the crisis and what his organization is doing to help.

Even before the Taliban takeover, the LGBTQ suffered discrimination – now it is so much worse.

Kabul over the past 20 years, had become known as one of the few “liberal” cities in Afghanistan. The word “liberal” is only being used as it was the only city in the country where they did not fear being killed for being LGBT.

Watch CBSN Tanya Rivero Report

According to JPOST, “The US State Department reported in 2020 that even before the Taliban took power in August, LGBTQ people in Afghanistan faced “discrimination, assault and rape” and “homosexuality was widely seen as taboo and indecent.” Laws against lesbian, gay and transgender people made their existence illegal and punishable by up to two years in jail. Those laws were not always enforced, but they did leave LGBTQ people at risk of extortion and abuse by authorities, as reported by the UK government.”

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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