Category Archives: Polygamy

Open House: The Great Sex Experiment10pm, Channel 4

Gird your loins: heres a dating show that hopes to break the taboo around polyamory. Each week, curious couples are invited to a swinging party, where they can ask others to join them for the night. Along the way, they talk things through with an intimacy therapist, Dr Lori Beth. First up, Mady and Nathan are looking for a throuple situation, but will they go through with it? The nightcam action is pretty awkward, but it does show the reality of what happens in such situations. Hollie Richardson

This documentary might have been put together quickly, but it paints a clear picture of what led to the invasion of Ukraine. Picking up from the moment Vladimir Putins national security team voted in favour of the war, Russia-born journalist Julia Ioffe says: It felt like they were dancing bears performing for their master, who is impossible to please. Quite. HR

Ordinary life takes centre stage in Grayson Perrys extraordinary (and delightfully singular) arts show this week. The comedian Joe Wilkinson crafts a piece inspired by normal life, while Cornelia Parker famed for her oversized installations discusses how art can electrify the everyday. Henry Wong

Secrets and lies in the 50s-set crime drama tonight. A member of the Rev Will Davenports congregation is found murdered in the run-up to a church fundraiser. But the victim was an upstanding member of the community wasnt he? Ali Catterall

The gritty, sexy German adaptation of Thomas Pletzingers thriller continues with a double bill. Tuuli gives birth on 11 September 2001, while there are doubts about whether Felix is being dead. HR

Could Lee Mack be the new Tom Cruise? After he inadvertently sends an insulting text to uptight Anna, the usually listless Lee has to stage an escalating series of heists la Mission: Impossible to try to delete the message. A raunchy farce with a road-tested one-liner for every daft incident. Graeme Virtue

Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002), IMDb TVLong before he wowed with Oscar contender Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Andersons way with a romantic comedy was evident in this quirky 2002 film. Adam Sandler stars as the diffident Barry, who runs a small firm that has something to do with plungers. His seven sisters boss him around, which leads to comic explosions of rage. Then, one sibling introduces him to Lena (Emily Watson) who has slightly bizarrely fallen for him. Sandler brings his talent for physical comedy to a sweet caper that incorporates phone sex, a harmonium, multiple chocolate desserts and a shouty cameo from Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ineffective blackmailer. Simon Wardell

The Many Saints of Newark (Alan Taylor, 2021), 12.40pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema PremiereDavid Chase returns to the world of The Sopranos with a Tony Soprano origin story. The 1967 Newark race riots in New Jersey are the spur to investigate the formative teenage years of Tony (played by Michael Gandolfini, son of James) and his relationship with his violent mobster uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), Christophers father. Rivalry between the areas Italian and black gangs brings a new dimension to the mafia family dramas, but theres lots for fans of the TV show to savour, particularly a younger but already petrifying Livia (Vera Farmiga). SW

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Desiree Akhavan, 2018) 9pm, BBC ThreeThe horrors of gay conversion therapy are damningly laid out in Desiree Akhavans compelling drama, set in 1993. Chlo Grace Moretz is the titular teenager, caught with a girlfriend and sent to a Christian camp, Gods Promise, to cure her of her gender confusion. The counsellors, led by Jennifer Ehles Dr March, are more hidebound by religious dogma than actively evil, but still have an increasingly disturbing effect on their fragile charges. Luckily, Cameron befriends Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forest Goodluck), whose fortitude gives her hope. SW

This article was amended on 1 April 2022 to refer to polyamory rather than polygamy in relation to Open House.

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TV tonight: what really goes on in a polyamorous relationship? - The Guardian

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) Ogdens Own, Utahs largest independent distillery and award-winning leading producer of craft spirits is excited to announce the release of its 2022 Five Husbands vodka.

The distillery is known for its unique expressions of playful satire targeting Utah stereotypes. As a take on the companys Five Wives Vodka, which pokes fun at polygamy, Ogdens Own introduced Five Husbands Vodka for the first time in 2019 as a Pride Month special release. The product was embraced so much by consumers that the distillery has decided to make it a year-round offering, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community every day of the year.

As of March 22, Ogdens Own has announced the selection of its Five Husband search. The five representatives will be featured on this years edition of the Five Husbands Vodka bottle. The group, carefully selected by the Ogdens Own team to showcase their dedication to improving LGBTQ+ equality and visibility, represents a plethora of diverse backgrounds depictive of the LGBTQ+ community.

It was a very difficult decision as we were very fortunate to receive more responses than we anticipated for this years label, said Mark Fine, President and CEO of Ogdens Own Distillery. In selecting the Five Husbands, we didnt just want it to be about a person who specifically identifies as a Husband, but a person who is authentically themselves and part of the rich tapestry that makes up the LGBTQ+ community.

From left to right, the bottles label will feature Madazon Can-Can, Bryce Jackson, Matt Easton, Chef Bryan Woolley, and Christian Harvey.

Can-Can, a non-binary transmasculine person, has been faced with fear and rejection throughout their life as many find their feminine and masculine persona hard to understand.

I have been involved in the (Queer) community primarily through work as a Burlesque and Drag King which also allows me to raise awareness through performance art. I teach Drag King classes inspiring others to develop a new skill, but to also facilitate a band of brothers that would support each other building a community of authenticity and offering a variety of drag in every gendered and non-gendered expression, said Can-Can.

Jackson is the co-founder of Stonewall Sports, an LGBTQ+ not-for-profit sports league with over 1,300 members. In regards to the organization, Jackson noted, This adult league brings back memories for many of not feeling included in sports growing up but now taking ownership and having fun. Many of the teams meet up outside of the league for dinners, movie nights, and just good old-fashioned fun.

Easton, a Utah native and seventh-generation Mormon, came out publicly during his 2019 valedictorian speech at BYU. Currently, he is working on earning his Ph.D. in political science at Berkeley.

My speech gathered a lot more attention than I initially thought it would and I ended up going on The Ellen Show, Ru Pauls Talk Show, and Good Morning America to talk about my experience being gay at BYU. It has allowed me to springboard into the world of LBTQ+ activism, working on improving the treatment of queer people at BYU and the Mormon church, said Easton. My first alcoholic experience was actually drinking Five Wives Vodka and cranberry! he recalls.

Woolley is an American Celebrity Chef, television personality, and operatic singer most known for his daily 30-minute cooking segment that airs on a local CBS affiliate, Cooking with Chef Bryan.

If I could inspire and save just one person in knowing that being who they are is fine, then this is a success. I am passionate about my career as a chef and have made many friends allowingme to travel and speak with wonderful people with shared interests, said Woolley.

Harvey, better known by his stage name Hoe Shi Minh is SLCs only Vietnamese performer. The stage personality, well-seasoned with many years of musical theater studies, hosts numerous LQBTQ+ shows around the city inspiring others to share their same zest for life while embracing who they really are.

When I attend Asian-American functions I represent the queer communityand when I am involved with LGBTQ+ events I represent the Asian community. I am proud to be part of both, Harvey said.

Ogdens Own has proudly supported the LGBTQ+ community since its establishment in 2009. The organization has been the official alcohol sponsor of the Utah Pride Festival for several years now and has community ties to various local LGBTQ+ organizations like Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center.

A portion of the Five Husband Vodka sale profits will be donated to support LGBTQ+ causes, and the bottle is expected to hit shelves in May, just in time for pride month.

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Ogdens Own supports LGBTQ+ with Five Husbands Vodka - ABC4.com

Islam is not hostile to the concept of family planning and it is mere "propaganda" that Muslims can overtake Hindus in terms of population numbers, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi said on Monday.

There are several myths being spread about the Muslim population in India which are creating hostility among the Hindus against the Muslims, Quraishi said during a discussion on his book 'The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India' at the India International Centre here.

Listing the "myths" about the Muslim population in India, he said one of them is that they produce too many children and are solely responsible for the population explosion.

"Yes Muslims have the lowest levels of family planning (FP) -- only 45.3 per cent. Their total fertility rate (TFR) is 2.61 which is the highest. But the fact that Hindus are not far behind, with second-lowest FP at 54.4 per cent, and second-highest TFR of 2.13, is completely missed," Quraishi said.

Quraishi said it is also a myth that the Muslim population growth is upsetting the demographic balance.

The demographic ratio of India indeed shows an increase in Muslims from 9.8 per cent in 1951 to 14.2 per cent in 2011, and a decline in Hindus from 84.2 per cent to 79.8 per cent, but this is an increase of 4.4 percentage points in 60 years, he pointed out.

Asserting that Muslims are adopting family planning faster than Hindus, he said the gap in their number of children is narrowing.

Pointing out that another propaganda is that there is an organised conspiracy by Muslims to overtake the Hindu population to capture political power, he said no Muslim leader or scholar has asked Muslims to produce more children to overtake Hindus.

Citing a mathematical model by professors Dinesh Singh, former Delhi University Vice Chancellor, and Ajay Kumar, he said Muslims can "never" overtake Hindus.

Busting another "myth", he said it is wrong to state that Muslims use polygamy for increasing population as a government study in 1975 found that all communities had some polygamy but the Muslims were the least polygamous.

He said there is a general misconception that Islam encourages polygamy but the reality, however, is different.

Polygamy is also statistically not possible in India as the gender ratio (only 924 women per 1,000 men) does not permit it.

Asserting that Islam is not against family planning, Quraishi said nowhere has the Quran prohibited family planning and there are only interpretations -- both for and against.

Numerous verses of Quran and citations from Hadith emphasise quality over numbers, health of women and children and right of children to good upbringing.

Islam is not only not opposed to family planning but in fact is the pioneer of the concept, he said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra, former health secretary K Sujatha Rao and The Population Foundation of India Executive Director Poonam Muttreja also participated in the book discussion.

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Muslims can overtake Hindus in terms of numbers just propaganda, can never happen: Quraishi - Deccan Herald

Ill never forget when I saw The Book of Mormon musical. Sitting elbow-to-elbow with people in a Boston theater, I made sure to watch the audience as much as the stage, keeping an eye on what other people would laugh about. As the play progressed, I chuckled along, letting the catchy songs get stuck in my head. Though a few moments made me cringe, I didnt outright hate it. How open-minded I am, I commended myself. I can take a joke. But in the pit of my stomach, I felt some unease and I couldnt quite place why.

Over a decade later, I can now identify the reason.

Im Mormon through and through, and when I say that, I refer to a distinct culture. Cultural Mormonism exists alongside the religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The name sometimes gets abbreviated to LDS, though this and the word Mormon are terms the official institution is trying to distance from (one reason being that people conflate mainstream LDS religion and culture with the fundamentalist movement, the FLDS church, which splintered off in the early 20th century because they wanted to continue polygamy.)

My third- and second-great grandparents left Europe and trekked across the plains to reach a spiritual refuge in Utah. Some died or buried children in frozen earth as they fled from an extermination order in Missouri, and their collective narratives, along with their recipes for Jell-O salad and funeral potatoes, make up my family tapestry. I grew up having sleepovers with my cousins while my grandma told us stories and delivering dinners with my mom to people who had just lost their jobs or had a baby. Mormons rarely need to hire movers, and Ive hefted countless U-Haul boxes for incomers to and outgoers from the neighborhood. Whether Im traveling in Peru or Liberia, Italy or India, Ive been able to slip into a church service and listen to familiar hymns sung in different languages. My community, like anyone elses community, is vibrant, fraught, and complex.

Ive met my share of over-eager missionaries like the ones depicted in TheBook of Mormon musical, sure. (Proselytizing isnt my personal cup of herbal tea. Im more of the you do you, and I do me type.) But for every nave nineteen-year-old proselyte Ive met as well as Trump fans, mistresses of the patriarchy, and number-crunching men in suits Ive known dozens of other types of Mormons who you rarely, if ever, hear about.

The outside world seems obsessed with painting us as caricatures. But the Mormons I know are queer Mormons and Mormon allies, international Mormons and BIPOC Mormons who speak truth to power about the racism they experience. They attend church in addition to honor ceremonies for their Native American elders, or draw strength from Taiwanese ancestors and funeral rites to mourn miscarriages. The Mormons I know host podcasts or write their own cutting-edge social justice interpretations of scripture. They can be devout church-goers; taking a break Mormons; Mormon atheists; and people who identify as Mormon-ish, post-Mormon or the more distancing ex-Mo. The Mormons I know open art galleries in Manhattan that go well beyond devotional illustrations. They are libertarians, conservatives, liberals, socialists, and Marxists. They are average people with 9-5 jobs who, in the face of violence against Black bodies or policies banning immigrants, form organizations like Mormon Women For Ethical Government.

The person credited with saying, Well-behaved women seldom make history? That wasnt Eleanor Roosevelt that was my friend, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who makes excellent raisin cookies and who also happens to be Mormon. I serve as Editor in Chief of Exponent II, a Mormon feminist magazine founded by Ulrich and others back in 1974. Yet when I use the word Mormon and feminist in the same sentence with outsiders, I see their eyes grow at the seeming contradiction. The Mormons I know wrestle against patriarchy and celebrate a female deity in Mormon doctrine, even while some church leadership members push back by calling Her too sacred to talk about. The Mormons I know pray to Her anyway, exploring the evocative concept of the feminine divine through essays, painting, or poetry, because Who can excommunicate a poem?

You wouldnt recognize everyday Mormons, given some mainstream depictions of us. If were not being made the butt of the joke like in The Book of Mormon musical then were usually presented as a nefarious, creepy cult with a sensationalist obsession with polygamy. In popular TV shows, such as Big Love and Sister Wives, the lines between the LDS and FLDS are blurred. From Netflixs Murder Among the Mormons, where one sociopathic con artist kills two people, to Jon Krakauers book Under the Banner of Heaven (soon coming out as a TV series that has the Mormon community abuzz), this lumping together in our collection consciousness of the LDS and FLDS religions is incredibly popular and incredibly misleading.

For every dramatic caricature rendered by outsiders for the masses, real people like me have to reckon with the fallout and entrenched stereotypes: whether it means one more new acquaintance asking me how many moms I grew up with or being asked to explain the concept of magic underwear. Modern Mormons have so many other stories, universal and urgent, to tell.

For me, a defining moment came when I watched a Stephen Colbert episode about Mitt Romney (speaking of a popular Mormon archetype). I zeroed in on a joke Colbert made about Romney taking a sip of coffee that he thought was decaf, a reference to Mormonisms health code. But orthodox Mormons dont drink decaf coffee, either.

At that moment, I paused the video. This wasnt about coffee, which I couldnt care less about debating. It was about representation. In this modern world, when else would we feel comfortable representing a minority religion without conducting even a basic sensitivity check? Or easier, a simple Google search? My stomach twisted. I recognized the code-switching I had done for years, the way in which I forgave blatantly prejudicial stereotyping with a laugh and took it as a compliment that people even recognized us.

Im no longer laughing.

Its 2022. Outsiders will likely still create a steady diet of exoticizing content, but for every comedic farce, polygamy drama, and murder mystery (no matter how attractive the lead actor heres looking at you, Andrew Garfield), I hope the world learns to make space for the spectrum of other Mormon stories out there worth hearing. Like any other religion or community, we are no monolith. Our truth, pain, and experiences in our own words matter.

Rachel Rueckert is a Utah-born writer and recent graduate of Columbias MFA program. She is writing a coming-of-age memoir about her fraught and sometimes humorous reckoning with the concept of eternal marriage in Mormonism

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Im a feminist Mormon. Almost everything youve heard about my culture is wrong - The Independent

Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones and an eerie true-crime story reminiscent of True Detectiveneed we say more? Probably not, but we will because we are simply enthralled by upcoming series, Under The Banner Of Heaven.

Based on the book of the same name from author Jon Krakauer, the limited run series follows the bone-chilling events that led to the murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby daughter in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1984, as investigated by Det. Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield).

Find everything you need to know about the new series, below.

Tragically, the terrifying events that take place in Under The Banner Of Heaven are based on a true story.

Brothers Ron Laffertya self-professed prophetand Dan Lafferty were convicted of murdering their sister-in-law, Brenda Wright Lafferty and her baby daughter, in July 1984.

The heinous act was believed to be the result of Rons religious views, claiming he received a revelation ordering him to kill Brenda and her daughter.

The series investigates not only the crime, but also the "isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy".

The seven-episode mini-series has been confirmed to debut exclusively on Disney+ in Australia. An exact premiere date is yet to be announced, however it is slated to air this year.

You can sign up to stream the show along with other Disney+ and STAR exclusives like Only Murders In The Building, righthere.

The first official trailer for the series has dropped and its as chilling as we expected. You can watch the full clip, below.

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Where To Watch 'Under The Banner Of Heaven' In Australia - Marie Claire

A private member's bill to regulate the country's population was withdrawn in Rajya Sabha (File)

A private member's bill to regulate the country's population introduced by BJP member Rakesh Sinha in the Rajya Sabha was withdrawn on Friday.

Mr Sinha withdrew The Population Regulation Bill, 2019, expressing confidence that "we will be able to control our population rising above caste, religion, language and district" on account of serious efforts being undertaken by the government in this regard.

Mr Sinha cited the example of Hindu and Muslim population growth rate differences in Kerala and West Bengal. He said that from 2001 to 2011, the decadal growth rate of the Muslim population was 21 per cent whereas that of the Hindu population is 10 per cent. Similarly, in Kerala, the decadal growth rate of Hindus is 10 per cent whereas that of Muslims in the state is 29 per cent, Sinha said, and added that "facts do not change by closing one's eyes".

He said attention needs to be paid to the total marital fertility rate.

"Our (government's) efforts are being undertaken in a constitutional manner. We do not want to repeat the Emergency," Mr Sinha said.

Participating in the discussion, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said population control should happen by creating awareness among people and it should not happen by force and being made compulsory.

"We have gained results as the fertility rate has come down to around 2 per cent... It tells us that the family planning mission is moving towards success," the minister stated.

Mr Mandaviya noted that the country has witnessed a population growth rate dip from the 70s and 80s with the success of various policy measures.

"The government's policy is to pursue its goals without using force and by adopting initiatives around creating awareness and by educating people. We are moving ahead by following this.

"I agree with Rakesh Sinha that the family should be small and that the population should be stabilised. The policies which have been followed to date will help us achieve our goals. So I request the honourable member to withdraw the bill," he stated.

He assured the member that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking a lot of steps to stabilize the population in the country.

Mr Mandaviya also elaborated on the measures taken by the government in enhancing healthcare infrastructure in the country, including an increase in the number of MBBS and PG seats across states.

Earlier, KJ Alphons of the BJP said there was a need to educate people about the matter.

John Brittas of CPI (M) attacked the practice of polygamy and stressed the need for strong measures to check population growth in certain states.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh raised in the House the issue of the alleged "attack" on Delhi Chief Minister and party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

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Private Member's Bill To Regulate Population Withdrawn In Rajya Sabha - NDTV

By various estimates and definitions, there are anywhere from five to more than a dozen different sects within the Fundamentalist Mormon community, each with its own Prophet and living space. At one point, they were all one group of Mormons excommunicated for maintaining a polygamous lifestyle, and many of the break-off sects are still connected financially in one way or another, sometimes via land rights or corporations.

Fundamentalist Mormons are spread out around the American West and in parts of Mexico and Canada. Their numbers are hard to pin down due to the secretive nature of their polygamist lifestyles, but most estimates are between 30,000 and 50,000.

The largest of these sects is the FLDS, or Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (primarily in Arizona and Utah). With about 10,000 members, it comprises perhaps 25 percent of Fundamentalist Mormons. The next largest is the AUB, or Apostolic United Brethren, also known as the Allred Group (primarily in Utah). Its numbers are in the area of 7,500.

Other, smaller sects have anywhere from a hundred to about 1,500 members. They include the Centennial Park Group (Arizona), the Davis County Cooperative Society (Utah), the Church of the Firstborn (Mexico), the Bountiful Groups (Canada), the Confederate Nations of Israel (Utah), the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days (Utah), and the Missouri Community (Mormons settled in Missouri after Joseph Smith revealed the Second Coming would take place there).

While it's true that some of the wives in polygamous marriages receive government support (only the first wife is legally married -- the others are single mothers), Fundamental Mormons also run farms and have construction companies. They work on construction projects -- legitimate ones -- all over the West and Mexico, and, with a few exceptions, interact with those outside their sects. In most cases, the people they work with outside their communities simply look the other way on the polygamy issue. It's illegal, but in many areas, particularly in Utah, outsiders practice a certain degree of lenience toward the religiously sanctioned plural marriages.

Polygamy, while invariably illegal throughout North America, is still a form of marriage. As such, there are guidelines regarding the way Fundamentalist Mormons form their commitments and carry them out. Perhaps the most basic one is this: Only a specific form of polygamy is sanctioned.

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What are the rules of polygamy? | HowStuffWorks

What are the references to polygamy in the Bible? In biblical times it was common to find the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. The truth is that the story of polygamy in the Old Testament is, well, a problem. Although monogamy was clearly God's intent - Genesis 2:22-24, the picture blurs pretty quickly after Adam and Eve's Genesis 3 and expulsion from the Garden. By Genesis 4, you have Cain's son Lamech taking two wives.

Moses had two wives as well. The Mosaic Law likewise accommodated the practice of marrying more than one wife, including captured prisoners from foreign conquests (Deuteronomy 21:1-17). It also made provisions for continuing the family line by marrying a brother's wife if he died without producing heirs (Deuteronomy 25:5-12). And the stories keep coming: Gideon, one of Israel's champions, had many wives; Elkanah, a presumably godly man and the father of Samuel, had two wives.

The picture gets even dicier when one considers the practice of the kings of Israel. King David, the "man after God's own heart," had eight wives. In 2 Samuel 12 when the prophet Nathan confronts David over his sin with Bathsheba, we read: "This is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I have given you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom ... and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and as if this wasn't enough, I would have given you even more." David's son, Solomon, however, went overboard, flouting a stipulation in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 that kings not accumulate "too many" wives. For the record, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

How does one respond to this situation? The answer begins by seeing that God always points His creation back to the primacy and perfection of the original design. Next, you have to read every book to the end -- especially if it is the biblical context. And if you read the stories about the characters referenced above, you'll quickly find that polygamy was an unmitigated sociological disaster that created heartbreak and sowed familial discord. By the time of the writing of Malachi, God's command to a thoroughly chastised nation was clear: covenantal monogamy was to be the norm.

Further, through the ministry of Jesus, we see God "reset the clock" so to speak to the original goodness of monogamous marital union -- pointing forward to a new society and a new way. He also enacted new provisions to protect women and raise their standing in society. Jesus showed a world that had distorted the meaning of marriage back to the beauty of "the man being joined to his wife, and two will become one flesh." ~ Excerpt from Gods Plan for Marriage: Dealing with Old Testament Polygamy by Gregory Alan Thornbury

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Polygamy in the Bible - What Does God Say?

The multi-millionaire President of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has joined Russian forces in Kyiv.

The 45-year-old friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have taken to Telegram to share a video of himself wearing a military uniform.

In the video, Kadyrov could be seen studying plans alongside a table surrounded by soldiers claiming to be in Hostomel, a village outside Kyiv, at an airfield captured by Russian forces in the first days of the war.

Kadyrov wrote: "The other day, we were about 20km from you Kyiv Nazis, and now we are even closer."

He added: "We will show you that Russian practice teaches warfare better than foreign theory and the recommendations of military advisers."

Kadyrov has been accused of a number of serious human rights violations by many international NGOs.

The father of 12 has six sons, two of whom were adopted, and six daughters. Despite polygamy being illegal in Russia, he has three wives; Medni Musaevna Kadyrova (43), Fatima Khazuyeva (29) and Aminat Akhmadova.

The president has been in office since 2007 and, during his time, has led anti-gay purges and advocated to restrict the public lives of women.

The 'savage' has also been accused of ordering the kidnap, torture, and murder of opponents, journalists and critics.

Kadyrov has even gone as far as to encourage families to murder anyone in their household who is gay as an alternative to law enforcement.

An activist for the Russian LGBT network said: "In Chechnya, being homosexual is considered to be a huge shame."

"Homosexuality is considered shameful not only for the person but for their whole family, and there are honour killings. It is considered that homosexuality brings such a shame on the family that there is only one way to wash the shame away - to kill the person. And we know these things are happening.

"Sometimes people are released from prisons because the authorities know they are going to be killed by the family."

Tanya Lokshina from the Human Rights Wash said that gay men were being forcibly "disappeared."

"Law enforcement and security agency officials under control of the ruthless head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, have rounded up dozens of men on suspicion of being gay, torturing and humiliating the victims," she said.

"Some of the men have forcibly disappeared. Others were returned to their families, barely alive from beatings. At least three men apparently have died since this brutal campaign began."

Kadyrov has denied these claims saying that there were no gay people in his country.

In an interview with HBO's Real Sports, he said: "We don't have those kind of people here. We don't have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada.

"Praise be to God. Take them far from us, so we don't have them at home. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them."

Asked about the accusations of systematic torture, Kadyrov said, "They made it up. They are devils. They are for sale. They are subhuman. God damn them for slandering us."

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The 'barbaric' Chechen leader with three wives and 12 kids joining Putin - Irish Mirror

Burma

The NLD government's religious affairs minister Thura U Aung Ko in 2017. / The Irrawaddy

By The Irrawaddy 15 March 2022

Former Brigadier General Thura U Aung Ko, who served as the minister for religious affairs and culture under the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with labor for alleged corruption on Monday.

The regime filed four counts of corruption against the minister under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law after accusing him of accepting bribes from a businessman and abusing his position of power to confer Buddhist titles on laypersons.

The regime alleged that U Aung Ko accepted 40 million kyats (US$22,522) from individuals in return for Ssannuggaha titlestitles conferred on those who make significant contributions to the promotion of Buddhism. He was also accused of accepting a luxury car and a gold plate weighing 20 ticals (326.6 grams).

The former brigadier general was a long-time member of the Central Executive Committee of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He was appointed deputy minister of religious affairs under the former military regime and was a Lower House USDP lawmaker during the Thein Sein administration.

U Aung Ko, who is known to be close to former General Shwe Mann, a close ally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was appointed as religious affairs minister in the NLD government following the partys landslide victory in the 2015 general election. He is also said to be close to NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

He was given three years for each of four corruption charges, for a total of 12 years. U Aung Ko, in his capacity as the religious affairs minister, abolished the Association for Protection of Race and Religion, a pro-military nationalist group better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha. During the U Thein Sein government the group successfully lobbied for the approval of a controversial set of four laws on race and religion that imposed restrictions on interfaith marriage, birth spacing, polygamy and conversion, believed to be targeted at Muslims. It later clashed with the NLD government, however, and in May 2017 the state-backed cleric organization Ma Ha Na announced that Ma Ba Tha was an unlawful organization and banned it from operating under that name. The group has since rebranded itself as the Buddha Dhamma Charity Foundation.

Since seizing power on Feb. 1 last year, the regime has arrested most of the NLDs leadersincluding State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myintas well as senior party members including government officials and ministers. To keep them behind bars, the regime has charged the detained officials with an array of offenses including breaching COVID-19 rules and the Official Secrets Act, as well as high treason and incitement to corruption.

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Myanmar Junta Jails ex-General Who Served in NLD Govt Over Corruption Allegation - The Irrawaddy