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Tag: russia anti-gay law

  • Sochi Mayor Claims No Gay People Live In His City

    A Russian drag queen that goes by the name Madame Zhu-Zha said that there is in fact a gay community in Sochi and throughout Russia. “There are very many clubs for gay people in Moscow, in Sochi we have two gay clubs as well. In some places there’s serious prejudice against gay people.”

    How is it possible that the two alleged gay clubs in Sochi stay in business when the city’s Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov claims that there are no gay people in his city? “It’s not accepted here in the Caucasus where we live. We do not have them in our city.”

    One thing that the Olympics is sure to do is shine a light on a locale’s ideology. Since the cold war ended, we haven’t had the same eye on Russia that we did thirty years ago. It looks like, from a tolerance standpoint, that very little has changed.

    Just last June, the Russian Government passed a law banning the distribution of information about homosexuality to children. In fact, if a person gives any information to anyone under the age of 18 about homosexuality, they will be fined.

    If you’re gay and are participating or planning to attend the Olympics next month in Sochi, you shouldn’t have to worry as long as you keep your lifestyle on the down low. The Russian President himself wants to assure the LBGT community that the red welcome mat will be rolled out for them. However, Vladimir Putin does want to make sure that you leave the children alone. “Our hospitality will be extended to everyone who respects the laws of the Russian Federation and doesn’t impose their habits on others.” He added, “We don’t have a ban on non-traditional sexual relations. We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia.”

    The 2014 Winter Olympics will commence on February 7th. The Games have already had their fair share of controversy. Of course, there’s this whole gay propaganda warning which has led to possible boycotts and fears among the LBGT community. In addition, there have been numerous concerns over security.

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  • Stephen Fry Writes An Open Letter To The IOC

    British do-gooder Stephen Fry is not just an actor; he is, among many other things, a philanthropist, a comedian, a teddy bear collector, and a writer. He is also, as actress Emma Thompson puts it, “90 percent gay, 10 percent other.” Fry’s sexuality is no secret and hasn’t ever been one; his good deeds and philanthropy have often reflected this facet of his life, and has recently done so again. Stephen Fry released an open letter on his blog today, directed at David Cameron and the International Olympics Committee in regards to the 2013 Winter Olympics.

    Russia’s anti-gay laws and their potential effects on the quickly approaching Olympics are not a new phenomenon; in fact, just yesterday, president Obama canceled a one-on-one meeting with Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin because of them. The effects of these actions by the Russian government have been numerous and loud; Stephen Fry’s open letter simply adds in another strong, eloquent voice to many.

    Fry’s letter stands out above the rest by bringing to light the similarities between Russia’s current attitudes, laws, and actions towards the LGBTQAI+ community and those once practiced by Hitler’s Germany towards those of the Jewish faith. Fry goes on to claim that the beatings, brutality, murders, and other terrible happenings that go on, unreported and undocumented, closely mirror what happened to German Jews before they were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. It is for these gross human injustices that Fry calls for the International Olympic Committee to prevent the Olympics from occurring in Russia.

    Fry’s letter is shocking, to say the very least; while it is worded with the sincerity and heart of a man who believes deeply in what he is saying, some have taken to criticizing the letter in very harsh ways, calling Fry a fraud and insensitive, self-righteous person. While the letter does have its flaws, the typical critiques given by angered masses seem to imply that Fry is unaware of what he is talking about and that he is wrong to make these comparisons. For those people, it is imperative that they be aware of this text taken from the letter:

    “I am gay. I am a Jew. My mother lost over a dozen of her family to Hitler’s anti-Semitism. Every time in Russia (and it is constantly) a gay teenager is forced into suicide, a lesbian “correctively” raped, gay men and women beaten to death by neo-Nazi thugs while the Russian police stand idly by, the world is diminished and I for one, weep anew at seeing history repeat itself.”

    The letter is poignant and clear in its message, and will certainly impact any person who takes the few minutes needed to read it. Hopefully, those feelings might be enough to incite some sort of action that will lead not only to a moving of the Olympic games, but a change in the barbaric and cruel laws set in place by Russia. With that, the writer of this article wishes to end with these parting words in Fry’s letter; “In the end I believe you know when a thing is wrong or right. Please act on that instinct now.”

  • Obama Speaks Out Against Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws

    News-savvy folk (such as the readers here at WebProNews) have surely heard of president Barack Obama’s decision to cancel his one-on-one meeting with Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin. Many argue that the president was taking a stand against Russia’s decision to shelter Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who alerted the nation’s public to the NSA’s unsolicited eavesdropping and intelligence gathering. On Tuesday’s “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, however, the president gave a very different reason for his change in plans; he claimed that the action came from human rights issues.

    President Obama was quoted as saying he has “no patience for countries that try to treat gays and lesbians and transgendered persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.” He went on to say that he feels Russia is making a “big mistake” in choosing to enforce the laws and in applying them to the upcoming winter Olympics.

    Truthfully, it seems that president Obama’s decision to cancel the one-on-one talks with Vladimir Putin has basis in multiple issues; while Russia’s current record with human rights certainly does play in to the decision, there is no denying that Snowden’s asylum is also a contributing factor. After all, the president did say to Leno that he was “disappointed” in Russia’s decision to shelter the whistleblower. Ultimately, the president’s official reason for canceling the meeting is for many issues, including both human rights and recent political decisions.

    What is important to note, however, is that president Obama is putting his foot down when it comes to Russia’s hate-mongering, discriminatory laws, and in a very public manner. His decision to cancel the meeting and to speak publicly about his disapproval towards Russia’s laws is a powerful move that could have big consequences; it is a matter of waiting to see just what those consequences will be, however.