Tag Archives: Sochi Olympics

“Imagine this: it’s the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. A huge television event, watched the world over. The American Olympians join the proud march of nations. They’re our emissaries, our exemplars. And as the television cameras zoom in on Team U.S.A., one of its members quietly pulls out a rainbow flag, no bigger than a …

International Olympic Committee vice president Ng Ser Miang yesterday told the press that the IOC is using “quiet diplomacy” with Russia to ensure that attendees of the Sochi Olympics are not affected by the “homosexual propaganda” ban. Ng, an IOC vice president from Singapore, said Vladimir Putin’s government has much at stake in the 2014 Olympics and won’t want to …

Hundreds of protesters marched to the Russian consulate in Toronto on Saturday. A number of local politicians attended the rally Saturday, including Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Glen Murray, who is openly gay himself, and Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo. Speaking with CP24, Murray also said the law is worrisome. “If we were in Russia right now, we’d be mobbed by …

“The way they are persecuting people in Russia is quite horrific. The Olympics is the best experience you will ever have as an athlete. Their whole memory and experience is going to be marred by this stuff. They are going to be made to feel unacceptable, inappropriate, and it is a really awful, awful feeling. The Olympics are supposed to …

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has written a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry which demands protections for LGBT athletes at the Sochi Olympics. The letter was co-signed by 83 members of the U.S. House.  The letter closes: We applaud the State Department’s commitment to ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT …

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will introduce a resolution which calls on the International Olympic Committee to explicitly denounce Russia’s ban on “homosexual propaganda.” Via Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed: The resolution will ask the IOC both to oppose the law itself and to receive a guarantee that athletes and spectators will not be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation …

“As concerned as we are about the Olympics, that’s nothing. That’s two, three, four weeks for the athletes and participants and the visitors. This mean-spirited and hateful law will affect all Russians 365 days of the year, every year. It is an incitement to intolerance, which breeds hate. And intolerance and hate breed violence. We wanted more than a verbal …

“One wonders which Russian authorities the IOC is speaking to. Within the past twenty-four hours, two high level officials have gone out of their way to contradict the IOC in no uncertain terms. The opinion of the Russian government is now perfectly clear: if you’re gay and you come to Russia for the Olympics, you will be in harm’s way. …

Russian Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko says that despite the “assurances” claimed by the International Olympic Committee, Russia will indeed arrest any athlete or fan who violates their ban on “homosexual propaganda.” Via Russia’s state news agency: The IOC told R-Sport Friday it “has received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect …

The petition has been launched by Truth Wins Out: NBC’s Olympic coverage has long featured myriad human interest pieces, about the athletes competing, and about all aspects of life in the home nation. There is more than enough time in prime time Olympic coverage for hard-hitting pieces exposing the reality of what LGBT people, political dissidents and other minorities face …

In a letter sent to sporting organizations, the US Olympic Committee has vowed that it is working to ensure the safety of all attendees and participants at the Sochi Olympics. Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: “The Olympic Charter prohibits any form of discrimination and clearly calls out the practice of sport as a human right that should be available to …

“So who on earth does the IOC, or Putin for that matter, think they’re kidding with their ‘assurances’? Can they really be so entirely naïve or so thoroughly cynical that they don’t think non-Russian LGBT people or our allies care about what’s been happening to our Russian counterparts in the wake of Putin’s edicts so long as our own skins …

According to a story posted today by the BBC’s Russian-language service, the co-sponsor of Russia’s “homosexual propaganda” bill says that the government does not have the power to selectively suspend enforcement during the Sochi Olympics, as they promised they would to the International Olympic Committee last week. Here’s a brief translation by JMG reader Peter: St. Petersburg legislator Vitaly Milonov …

“It’s official! The organising committee of Moscow Gay Pride and founders of the banned Pride House Sochi decided today against the boycott of Winter Olympics in Sochi and instead to organise Winter Sochi Pride on the day of the opening of Olympic Games on 7 February 2014. Join us! It will be much more effective to draw attention to official …

Yesterday the International Olympic Committee released a statement declaring that it had “received assurances from the highest levels” of the Russian government that athletes and fans would be exempt from arrest under the “homosexual propaganda” law during the Sochi Olympics. Buzzfeed‘s Chris Geidner reached out to NBC for a statement: “NBCUniversal strongly supports equal rights and the fair treatment for …

Via press release from the Human Rights Campaign: Mere verbal assurances from the Russian government that foreigners will be exempt from their repressive laws are not enough,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin. “The IOC must obtain ironclad written assurance from President Putin. But more importantly, they should be advocating for the safety of all LGBT people in …

According to Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, the International Olympic Committee today declared that it has received “assurances from the highest level” of the Russian government that athletes and fans that attend the Sochi Games will not be subject to the national ban on “promoting homosexuality.” “As a sporting organization, what we can do is to continue to work …

According to the website, this is a crowd-sourcing campaign and 200 shirts need to be ordered before they’ll print.

“The fact that Russia is arresting my people, and openly hating a minority and violating human rights all over the place is heartbreaking and a travesty of international proportions. I respect the LGBT community full heartedly, but I implore the world not to boycott the Olympic Games because of Russia’s stance on LGBT rights or lack thereof. I beg the …

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