Gay Equality Weekend Friday February 7th thru Sunday February 9nth--The Russian Olympics
This article from The Guardian has too many good Sochi tweets to just pick one or two. People are arriving and yes, it's a mess. This one though cracks me up. I mean, PLEASE--no wait don't---tell me who fishes in a toilet?! Behind all the 'new' Sochi building though is the real crumbling city of Sochi where citizens have some real primitive conditions that have been made worse.
Obviously since people are arriving in Sochi nothing came of boycotting them. Let's remember that the next time the USA tries to police a country and claims we have to because of how the citizens are being treated. I agree with actor Chris Pine who said, "...the U.S. should have done more in the run-up to the Sochi Olympics to protest Russia's anti-gay legislation, which he calls "clearly awful, archaic, hostile nonsense." "
Though, some points must be given for some world leaders for one, not going to the opening ceremonies and two, sending members of the LGBT community to represent them. President Obama isn't going, nor the Vice President, but is sending Billie Jean King* to the opening ceremonies, Caitlin Cahow to the closing ceremonies and Brian Boitano is in the delegation>. France, the UK, and Germany are also not sending their heads of state. German President Joachim Gauck publicly pointed to Russia’s human rights abuses as his reason. Prime Minister Cameron is sending Clare Balding, a well known gay TV journalist, and one time jockey, will be among the group of culture ministers who will represent The UK. Also the British government has said that the sports minister Helen Grant, who is also equalities minister, will attend on its behalf. Putin did attend the Olympics in London in 2012, so this is quite a snub for Cameron to not return the favor. Norway's Health Minister is attending the Sochi Paralympics and he is taking his husband. He will be Norway's official representative at the Paralympics.
An IOC member spoke out publicly against President Obama sending gay representatives. ' "It's absurd that a country like that sends four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have (been established),'' Mario Pescante said at an Italian Olympic Committee meeting...'
Former Gold Medalist Greg Louganis is urging Olympic athletes to protest Russia's anti-gay laws by dedicating wins to gay family members and friends. By doing THIS, it would not run afoul of the Olympic rules for protesting. Yes, the IOC in more moves to placate Putin yet also try to placate everyone else, says that athletes cannot speak out on issues within "accredited areas".
Putin is saying that gays at the Olympics must leave children alone, because he's just perpetuating the false belief that gays are pedophiles. "We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia," Putin said in televised comments from host city Sochi... Further in that article is this alarming statement: In a sign that Russia could go further in its anti-gay legislation, a senior cleric from the Russian Orthodox Church, which is closely allied to Putin, this month called for a national debate on returning a Soviet-era law repealed in 1993 that criminalised gay sex. Though there's one amusing one, with a volunteer pointing out to Putin that their volunteer uniforms are RAINBOW colored! Of course Putin says he had nothing to do with their design. Bonus points to whomever designed them! And the Mayor of Sochi doesn't even think there's any gay people in his city.
Within Russia a 9nth grade student, which there is between the ages of 14-16, was found guilty of the Russian propaganda laws for stating her sexual orientation in front of her classmates. (The child pictured in the article is NOT the child in question). Her own father attacked her to the point she had a severe head injury and had to be hospitalized. The first media outlet was also just fined for violating the laws, for reporting a teacher was fired for being gay. A Russian LGBT teen activist has been charged with violating their draconian law also. She runs a support group for LGBT teens in Russia online.
Elena Klimova established the aforementioned online community, Children 404, in March of 2013. She said the project was created after she published an article about LGBT teenagers’ problems and began receiving messages from teen teenagers on her personal VKontakte page. On the “Children 404″ page, LGBT teens share personal stories, and converse about their problems. Often, they write about about bullying by peers and misunderstanding by parents. To date, more than one thousand letters have been published. The LGBT youth community faces a mental health crisis as it is already. But imagine being in RUSSIA, with basically ZERO support. You would feel more isolated.
Even information about HIV prevention is considered propaganda, which aside from the whole ridiculousness of these draconian laws, somehow makes it even MORE draconian. Putin has claimed gays aren't discriminated against, yet I highly doubt he'll take up Elton John's offer to introduce him to people who have been harassed, threatened, physically assaulted, etc because they are gay. "The people I met in Moscow - gay men and lesbians in their 20s, 30s and 40s - told me stories about receiving threats from vigilante groups who would 'cure' them of homosexuality by dousing them with urine or beating them up." <---THIS is what the homophobic Russian yobs do to peaceful individuals just trying to live their lives. Then there's a Russian actor who thinks gays should be burned alive in an oven. Hmmm.....what other oppressive regime used ovens?
ETA: *Billie Jean King whereas selected to go, is now not able to go to the opening ceremonies due to her elderly mother being gravely ill.