A gay Chechen man explains what it's like being at the center of a human rights atrocity.

The anti-gay crackdown doesn't show signs of stopping.

A startling new report from the Russian LGBT Network highlights just how bad the crackdown on gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in Chechnya has gotten in recent months. As the reported number of people who've been detained or killed for suspicion of being LGBTQ skyrockets, it's hard to know what can be done to help. Making matters worse, details are few and far between, with even the new Russian LGBT Network report admitting it's hard to understand the full scope of the assault for certain.

What we do have are stories, like the one a gay Chechen man shared at Meduza back in April, which comes to life in a haunting new video.

Titled "Unable to breathe," the animated short follows the unnamed man as he's arrested for suspicion of homosexuality, physically and mentally tortured for a week without food or water, and eventually flees the country, forced to leave his family behind. (The subtitles are a bit small, so you may want to watch this full screen.)

"They beat me for several hours straight. They broke my ribs. They used electricity to torture me — they have this special coil and metallic pegs. In the neighboring rooms, people were also interrogated and tortured. I could hear their screams. The policemen wanted me to confess to being gay and to snitch on my friends, but I didn’t break."

The story takes a number of horrifying turns, but perhaps the most disturbing aspect is the portion where he reveals that the Chechen government wants families to murder their gay relatives.

"One of my relatives participates in 'gay-hunts'," he says in the video. "He does not suspect me, so he told me that the police have already arrested about 200 people. The police are blackmailing their families, threatening the relatives with dishonor. They are forcing the families to 'take care' of them. It means to kill. If they don’t do it, the police will. I don’t know what to do."

This assault on LGBTQ individuals is a human rights atrocity, and we cannot remain silent.

Some have spoken up — including Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), 50 members of the House of Representatives, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Vice President Joe Biden, and others. Still, many of the most powerful people in the world — such as President Trump and Vice President Pence — have remained silent in the face of this terrible campaign.

That's why it's so important that we don't allow stories like these to just fade into the background. We must keep them front of mind, and sharing the stories of those most affected by this barbaric treatment is one very important way to do that.

One simple and brilliant tweak to how Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds talk to their kids.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds — famous actors, yes, but also a famously awesome couple.

The pair is widely known as funny, down-to-Earth parents to their two young girls — not to mention total #couplegoals.

But just because they love to goof around and crack jokes doesn't mean they take their jobs as parents lightly.

Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly

In a revealing interview with Glamour, Lively opened up about the couple's plans for raising strong, independent daughters.

Though she admits she doesn't always know the right thing to do, she shared an anecdote about reading a script that had a profound effect on the way she talks to and around her girls:

"I was reading a script, and this woman, who’s very tough, did something where she took control of her life. And so she’s sitting, gripping the wheel, 'a look of empowerment on her face.' And I thought, Hmm, they don’t point that out about men: 'Look how empowered he is.' It’s just innate."

At home, Lively says, she and her husband make a conscious effort to avoid language that's either subtly sexist or even by default male.

"[Reynolds] will pick up, like a caterpillar, and instead of saying, 'What’s his name?' he’ll say, 'What’s her name?'" Lively said. "Or we’ve joked that my daughter is bossy. But my husband said, 'I don’t ever want to use that word again. You’ve never heard a man called bossy.'"

As a big-time Hollywood actor and now movie producer, Lively knows a thing or two about how people react to strong women and knows firsthand how damaging stereotypes can be.

"We’re all born feeling perfect until somebody tells us we’re not," she said of her daughters.

In other words, women aren't born feeling somehow inferior. Rather, the world tries to slowly beat it into them.

"So there’s nothing I can teach my daughter [James]," Lively said. She already has all of it. The only thing I can do is protect what she already feels. I do know that I have to watch her and listen to her and not project any of my own insecurities or struggles on her."

The statistics prove Lively's point: How we use gendered language really matters.

Calling a caterpillar a girl or a boy may not seem like a very important decision, but consider this:

Children's books are far more likely to feature a male lead character, Hollywood is as non-gender-inclusive as it's ever been, and most of us assume doctors or other high-level professionals are a "he."

From the time we're born, we are surrounded by a culture that paints women into a corner. Tells them that they can be a nurse but not a doctor. That they can't be in charge lest they be labeled "bossy." Tells them that not even an anthropomorphic farm animal can have the spotlight if it's a girl.

Lively and Reynolds are getting a jump on fighting back. If you're part of a couple that wants to be just like them, following their lead on this would be an awesome place to start.

People on Twitter are revealing the first time they saw 'themselves' on screen.

Lieutenant Uhura in "Star Trek." Tia and Tamera from "Sister, Sister." Susie Carmichael on "The Rugrats."

Twitter users are chiming in with stories of the first time they felt represented by a character on-screen, using the hashtag #FirstTimeISawMe. 

The trending hashtag is part of a multimedia campaign launched by Netflix to promote its "diverse, layered and intersectional content," including Marvel's "Luke Cage" and "Dear White People."

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.

"Seeing someone that looks like you and deals with similar things that you have to deal with is powerful because you inevitably feel like you can conquer your issues once you see someone else on-screen do it first," Netflix spokesperson Myles Worthington writes in an email.

Many who posted to the hashtag noted the powerful impact that certain iconic characters — from princesses to Power Rangers — had on them as young children.

#FirstTimeISawMe I watched this movie over and over again for a year bc I had never seen a black princess before. Thank you @4everBrandy 🤗😗 http://pic.twitter.com/YQsy7SwjLR

— black barbie (@kimberlymade) August 1, 2017

#FirstTimeISawMe was Aisha on Power Rangers http://pic.twitter.com/hwcEO3UGMz

— Danielle (@PantherNGA) August 1, 2017

#FirstTimeISawMe was in Miranda, a character on "As Told By Ginger." It was the first cartoon I watched with a confident, vocal Black girl. http://pic.twitter.com/krG3QeZliG

— Evette Dionne 🤔 (@freeblackgirl) August 1, 2017

Characters like Static Shock, with fully fleshed out personalities, interests, and skills — particularly nerdy ones — received lots of praise.

Virgil Ovid Hawkins aka Static Shock was the #FirstTimeISawMe self-professed geek, tabletop RPG lover and gamer http://pic.twitter.com/oZ4uqI8QLM

— Phloyd @ Bompton (@phrank_lotion) August 1, 2017

Others, like Sulu from "Star Trek," even helped some Twitter users figure out what they wanted to do later in life.

#FirstTimeISawMe Sulu from "Star Trek". An Asian man piloting a GD space ship. No wonder I got an engineering degree. https://t.co/15nc3E5LF3

— Eric R. Umali (@dark_wesley) August 1, 2017

Some pointed out that they're still waiting to see themselves fully represented.

#FirstTimeISawMe Probably The Namesake when I was well into adulthood. But still haven't seen a female desi version like me in pop culture. http://pic.twitter.com/TbxzgTXeQQ

— LaVidaLopa (@LaVidaLopa) August 1, 2017

#FirstTimeISawMe was w Princess Jasmine. A pseudo Arabic cartoon character despite me being South Asian. http://pic.twitter.com/E7EfYA0dBX

— speaking belgish (@aviviavai) August 1, 2017

With the ratings success of programming like FOX's "Empire" and ABC's Shonda Rhimes universe, both the small and large screen have diversified in recent years, though some would like to see the process speed up.

"I think it’s still slow going, but it’s getting better — depending on what you watch," Constance Gibbs of Black Girl Nerds, who collaborated on a video for the campaign, wrote in a blog post. "If you watch Netflix or ABC or even somewhat the CW, you may see someone who looks like you (but maybe not as a lead character). But if you watch a network like CBS, you probably won’t — no matter who you are."

CBS recently found itself mired in twin controversies after announcing a fall season with no female-helmed shows and after two Asian-American actors left long-running "Hawaii Five-O," citing pay discrepancies with their white cast-mates.

Gibbs noted, approvingly, that networks have featured more fully characterized dark-skinned black women on screen in recent years, in shows such as Netflix's "Chewing Gum" and ABC's "Still Star-Crossed" and hopes the networks continue to spread the opportunity around.

"There are many who are still waiting for that first burst of authentic representation," she writes over email.

Netflix hopes the campaign will emphasize its commitment to this growing trend.

"We don’t have advertisers to think of, or specific time slots to consider, or a cap on the amount of shows we can create," Worthington says. "If we uncover a unique story that we think our members will enjoy, we can bring it to life."

There's a progressive shift happening in mainstream media. It's exciting to see. Let's keep pushing #FirstTimeISawMe https://t.co/dDpb1vh2Pp

— Bryan Young (@theturtledork) August 1, 2017

Uncover enough of them, and perhaps today's kids won't have to start an appreciative hashtag on the social network of tomorrow.

Though we're always here for more Power Rangers GIFs.

What lies beyond the northernmost city on Earth? A beautiful, complicated land.

Photographer Greta Rybus wanted to see what life north of the north looked like.

The Norwegian city of Hammerfest calls itself the northernmost town in the world, but seeded beyond it are a handful of other small communities. One of these is Akkarfjord, on the island of Sørøya.

It’s a place few people know about — that even other Norwegians rarely visit.

All photos by Greta Rybus, used with permission.

Only about 80 people live there, their houses huddled around the Akkarfjord harbor.

There’s also a local school, post office, and grocery store. Plus a pub, tucked away and only opened on special occasions and birthdays.

The harbor is both the town’s anchor and its connection to the outside world.

If you’re not working on a boat, you’re probably at the local fish factory, which sits on the east side of the harbor and exports its catch to the rest of the world.

As you might guess, the winter cold can make socializing a bit of a challenge.

People aren’t too keen on stopping in the middle of the street for a chat, and if it’s not the cold, it’s the wind. Rybus says that the wind bowled her over more than once.

"I physically got blown over a few times, like a cartoon character, feet flying above my head," she says.

But if it’s cold on the coast, it’s even colder inland where reindeer herders watch their animals.

The herders are mostly Sami, an ethnic group indigenous to the area. They still follow many of their traditional practices, like reindeer herding, although mixed with modern practicalities. Snowmobiles make it much easier to keep up with the herd.

Two Sami women in traditional clothing.

The other inhabitants of this remote land? Oil rigs.

The rest of the world has caught up to Akkarfjord. Just 50 kilometers offshore are massive oil rigs, soaking up oil from the Barents Sea floor.

Norway is actually one of the great oil and gas nations of the world. Most of that profit has been pumped back into the nation itself, funding health care, public service projects, and education — including the Akkarfjord school.

Though oil’s brought a lot of wealth to Norway, unrestricted worldwide use of fossil fuel has also caused our global climate to change.

Snow used to arrive in Akkarfjord in the late fall, rising as high as a second story window. Nowadays, town residents say they might not see any until January. The weather is getting unpredictable.

Fishers like Knut Olsen told Rybus that the ocean around Akkarfjord is also warmer than it used to be, which could affect the harbor. On land, hunting has gotten harder.

Inland, changes to the freeze-thaw cycle have affected the reindeer's ability to forage during the winter. Buying extra feed or food pellets has become more and more common.

Life beyond the northernmost city is stark, beautiful, and locked in a remarkably complicated relationship with the outside world.

Fossil fuels, and the wealth that comes with them, have improved the quality of life in Akkarfjord — and the rest of Norway — but climate change is also affecting the animals, plants, and seasons they, and the rest of us, still depend on.

The story of climate change is not just an environmental story. It’s a story about people. Both those of us who live beyond the ends of the Earth and those much closer to home.

If you want to see the rest of Rybus’ amazing pictures and read more interviews about life in Akkarfjord, check out her website.

Hayley Williams has grown up since that regretful lyric 10 years ago. We should let her.

She's not in the business of misery anymore.

In the summer of 2007, Paramore unleashed a pop-punk anthem on the world with "Misery Business."

The song — the first single from the band's second album "Riot!" — details a true story about singer Hayley Williams (who was 17 at the time) feeling betrayed and backstabbed by another girl. It was 100% undiluted high school drama. It was also catchy as all hell.

While the song is still a banger a decade later, a few of the lyrics haven't exactly weathered the test of time. Specifically, the line "Second chances, they don't ever matter / People never change / Once a whore, you're nothing more / I'm sorry, that'll never change."

Williams sings the infamous line at iHeartRadio's 2013 Jingle Ball concert. GIF via iHeartRadio/YouTube.

People have been criticizing Williams for that particular lyric for a while now, calling it "anti-feminist." So she's addressing it head on.

In a recent interview with Track7, Williams acknowledged the backlash, saying that she was a bit annoyed because she "had already done so much soul-searching about it, years before anyone else had decided there was an issue."

ain't that the truth. But sometimes when you're 18 and you write emotional lyrics that get recorded & you can't take em back 😂

— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) November 18, 2016

"When the article began circulating, I sort of had to go and rehash everything in front of everybody," she said. "It was important, however, for me to show humility in that moment. I was a 17 year old kid when I wrote the lyrics in question and if I can somehow exemplify what it means to grow up, get information, and become any shade of 'woke,' then that’s a-okay with me."

you guys, it's been a decade since RIOT came out & im thrilled to report that business is just slightly less miserable now.

— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) June 12, 2017

She recognizes now how she was unwittingly "feeding into a lie that [she'd] bought into, just like so many other teenagers — and many adults — before [her]," about being a "cool girl" and tearing other women down. In other words, she's a more mature person at 28 than she was at 17.

In May 2015, she addressed the lyric in a Tumblr post, saying that she's not ashamed of her mistakes because they've helped shape her into the person she went on to become.

Williams with bandmates Taylor York (left) and Jeremy Davis (right) in February 2014. Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for DirecTV.

Williams was a little more self-aware at the time than even she gives herself credit for.

David Bendeth, who produced the "Riot!" album, opened up about the process in an interview with Billboard to mark the record's 10th anniversary, touching on Williams' reluctance to sing the infamous lyric.

"Hayley was upset about that girl [who was the subject of 'Misery Business']. In fact, in the lyrics she wrote, 'Once a whore, you’re nothing more' — and I remember at the time, she looked at me and said, 'I don’t think I can sing this. I don’t think I can say this. This just isn’t me,' and I said, 'Hayley, it is you and you wrote it. You have to sing it,' and she says, 'I just don’t think it’s right. I think morally it’s wrong to call somebody that.' I said, 'You’re not [calling somebody that]. You’re explaining the situation,' and she said, 'Okay, I’m going to sing it. I’m not going to like it, but I’m going to sing it.'"

We can all relate to regretting things we said or did when we were younger. It's how we react when those things resurface that says the most about who we are as people.

Learning to admit our mistakes and grow from them is part of being human.

In a world where kids are growing up online, posting to social media sites at younger ages, these mistakes are more likely to be the type that are not only public now, but will be public 10 years from now. The type of scrutiny previously reserved for rock stars, politicians, and public figures will increasingly seep into the lives of everyone.

While there are things people can do to keep their information private to avoid embarrassing revelations years down the line (always check your privacy settings), there's also a lot we can do as individuals in society to create a more empathetic culture that allows people to evolve beyond past mistakes and grow into their best selves — or not make those embarrassing mistakes in the first place.

In the years since the release of "Riot!" Williams has done advocacy work in support of LGBTQ people, the environment, survivors of sexual assault, music education, and the fight against breast cancer. One way to start creating a more empathetic society is by accepting and acknowledging Williams' statement at face value, bolstered by her actions, as a sign of her growth, humility, and most of all, her humanity.

The Clooneys want refugee kids to go to good schools, so they're paying for them.

Amal Clooney and her husband, George, are stepping up for children fleeing war in Syria.

The couple is planning a multimillion-dollar donation to Lebanese public schools, hoping to help provide a quality learning environment to thousands of students currently underserved "because they had the bad luck of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time."

George and Amal Clooney discuss refugee policy with Prime Minister Angela Merkel and German government officials. Photo via Handout/Getty Images.

"They have been victims of geography and circumstance, but that doesn't mean there isn't hope," the Clooneys told the Associated Press in a statement. "Our goal with this initiative is to help provide Syrian refugee children with an education and put them on a path to be the future leaders their generation desperately needs."

Hundreds of thousands of refugee children have settled in Lebanon, putting pressure on the country's education system.

In response, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) instituted a "second shift" at over 70 public schools.

According to the agency, the extra sessions are staffed by local teachers who frequently extend their work day to ensure that refugee children don't fall behind.

The Clooneys' funds will go toward training those teachers, as well as to providing school supplies, computers, and transportation for the students.

Students at a school for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Photo by -/AFP/Getty Images.

The $3.5 million donation is from their Clooney Foundation for Justice in conjunction with Google and HP.

Still, there are limits to what one celebrity couple — even an uber-wealthy one — can do for the world's neediest.

The Clooneys have said the funds will aid 3,000 additional refugee children, but the U.N. estimates that some 200,000 in Lebanon alone are still not receiving an education.

Human Rights Watch has labeled the situation an "immediate crisis."

The world needs to step up with a comprehensive plan for the millions displaced by the conflict.

Then-Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi high-fives a child in a school for refugees in Lebanon. Photo by Marwan Tahtah/Getty Images.

That includes supporting the work that agencies like the UNHCR are doing. More importantly, it includes helping muster the political will to resettle them in safe countries — whether by making it easier for them to reunite with family or by more freely granting visas.

With anti-refugee sentiment running hot in the United States and much of Europe, relaxing rules and opening borders can feel like an improbable lift.

Still, it's critical to take action before it's too late in order for these millions of kids to grow up with the skills to confront a challenging, difficult world.

As the Clooneys recognized, there's more than one way to lose a life.

To help make the world a more welcoming place for displaced children and their families, you can visit and support organizations working to protect and serve refugees globally, including Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee, and the Hebrew International Aid Society.

This animated short about a gay kid 'outed by his heart' is the absolute cutest.

After much breathless waiting and anticipation, the animated kids short, "In a Heartbeat," was finally released on July 31, 2017.

The four-minute short film — which follows a closeted boy as he "runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams" — has captivated certain corners of the internet since its trailer was released in May and instantly went viral.

The finished film is just as adorable and sweet and pure and squee-worthy as fans were hoping.

People are just totally loving it.

DID U JUST HEAR SOMEONE SCREAM BC IT WAS ME WATCHING IN A HEARTBEAT ITS THE CTUEST THNIG IVE EVER SEEN

— cam, pinned! (@phandertale) July 31, 2017

Like, honestly, truly adoring it.

((💛💛 SCREENSHOT FROM "IN A HEARTBEAT💛💛))

GUYS I'M SOBBING IT'S SO PERFECT. http://pic.twitter.com/YPpcMGFUWv

— Lance's pants (@lanceswifelol) July 31, 2017

IN A HEARTBEAT IS THE PUREST THING IVE EVER SEEN

— mckenna (@attackonhowelll) July 31, 2017

The short is only four minutes long and completely void of narration or dialogue.

But its creators, Beth David and Esteban Bravo — who completed the project as part of their college senior thesis project — were able to invoke so many relatable emotions to queer fans watching at home: the helplessness of puppy love, the adolescent dread of being outed as LGBTQ, the judgmental gaze from peers when you are outed as LGBTQ, and the comfort of finally learning you're not alone.

The project's 30-second trailer tugged at heart strings back in May, so you can imagine what a difference the full movie is making now.

"We're very touched by the response we've gotten so far and we're happy to know that our project has already had a positive impact on so many people," the creators said about two months ago of the film's blossoming fandom. "It proves to us that there is a need and a want for media that addresses LGBT+ themes in a positive and lighthearted way."

The two hoped their film's positive reception will lead to more LGBTQ-inclusive films being produced down the line.

Fans, it seems, passionately agree:

a concept: make in a heartbeat a full-length movie

— hallie pinned! (@feverdanieI) July 31, 2017

Take four minutes out of your day and watch "In a Heartbeat" right now, below: