Tag Archives: Sochi Olympics

Russian Snowboarder Cheers Pussy Riot

Details.

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RUSSIA: Website Of Canadian Bobsledder Blocked For Extreme Furry Hotness

Via Huffington Post: Canadian bobsledder Justin Kripps says his personal website has been censored in Russia. Kripps tweeted Friday that he could not access his site from Krasnaya Polayna, where some of the Sochi Olympic events are being held. Others who tried to access the site from Russia got the same message, which says it has been blocked because of …

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Swedish Paper Rebrands In Solidarity

Perhaps having noted the action of Britain’s Channel 4, one of Sweden’s most-read dailies has rebranded its logo in rainbow colors in solidarity with Russia’s LGBT people. From the editor: “Inauguration ceremonies for the Winter Olympics have begun in Sochi. We will be watching the competition, but we also want to show that we do not like that the organizers …

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BRITAIN: Ben Cohen Supports Channel 4’s Pro-LGBT Sochi Olympics Campaign

As part of Channel 4’s Project Rainbow campaign during the Sochi Olympics, Ben Cohen has recorded a new message about bullying. Note Channel 4’s logo.

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Quote Of The Day – Chris Kluwe

“What is the true price of fame? The price of fame is what you risk when you have the platform. As an athlete, a role model for society, people listen to you. As an athlete, when you make a statement, that statement is heard, no matter what that statement is. Speak up for LBGTQ rights, for human rights, for empathy? …

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Blondie Rejects Sochi Gig

It’s not clear when the offer was made, but today Blondie published its response to an offer to perform next week at the Red Rocks Festival in Sochi. In 2012, prior to the passage of Russia’s “gay propaganda” law, the headliners at the festival were Scissor Sisters. Thank you, Blondie!

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RUSSIA: Moscow Police Arrest 10 LGBT Activists During Sochi Opening Ceremonies

The Russian online news site Grani reports that ten LGBT activists were arrested by Moscow police at Red Square today as they waved rainbow flags and sang the Russian national anthem. The protest was timed to coincide with the opening ceremonies at Sochi. Brave, brave people.

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Ukrainian Tries To Hijack Plane To Sochi

Via Al Jazeera: A Turkish official says security forces are searching a passenger plane that landed at an Istanbul airport after a passenger claimed there was a bomb on board. Sources told Al Jazeera that the plane, which had 110 people onboard, took off from Kharhiv in Ukraine and landed in Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The plane sent a hijack …

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Embarassing Fail During Sochi Opening

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HUNTED: British Documentary Follows Russian Gay Bashers “Going On Safari”

Britain’s Channel 4, which yesterday rebranded itself in protest of Russia’s anti-gay crackdown, has aired a chilling documentary titled Dispatches: Hunted in which journalists travel with gangs of Russian gay bashers to record their vicious actions. Lucy Mangan reviews the show for the Guardian: The gangs call it “going on safari”. It is apt, given how comprehensively the church, state, …

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Tony Mono – Sochi

German pop artist and comedian Tony Mono, who regularly appears on the Cologne-based 1 Live radio network, has created a take on Pharrell Williams’ Oscar-nominated Happy, the theme song to Despicable Me 2. From the clip description: Let’s show Russia, how we love our love. Free from oppression and fear! International superstar producer Tony Mono reaches out to fans across …

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Cleveland Gay Games 2014 Commercial To Air Tonight In Six Television Markets

Via Outlook Columbus: Organizers of the 2014 Gay Games will give viewers of tonight’s Winter Olympics opening ceremonies a subtle reminder of the anti-LGBT atmosphere in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Thirty-second commercials for the Gay Games are set to air during NBC’s telecast in Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Buffalo and the host cities of Cleveland and Akron. The Gay Games, an international …

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Obama On Sochi Delegation: Of Course
We Sent Open Gays There On Purpose

“There is no doubt we wanted to make it very clear that we do not abide by discrimination in anything, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. One of the wonderful things about the Olympics is that you are judged by your merit, how good you are regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you …

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Coca-Cola And Chevrolet To Run Gay-Inclusive Ads During The Olympics

From the New York Times: Some marketers are seeking to respond to the protesters without agreeing to their demand to condemn the Russian law. During the opening ceremony coverage, Coca-Cola plans to run a 90-second version of “America Is Beautiful,” its 60-second Super Bowl commercial by Wieden & Kennedy that salutes diversity, and generated complaints from some viewers who expressed …

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Activists To Launch Sochi “War Room”

Via the #CheersToSochi Facebook page: LGBT activists, allies, social media experts, and journalists are invited to participate in the #CheersToSochi War Room in New York City at Boxers Bar HK during the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games this Friday. The purpose of the #CheersToSochi War Room is for participants to monitor the Opening Ceremony and other Olympic-related …

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Google Doodle Slams Russia

Via the Guardian: Google has nailed its colours to the mast over Russia’s gay rights record in a new Google doodle, which is dedicated to the Olympic charter. The internet company’s logo was presented in the colours of the rainbow flag and also featured images of Winter Games events. The build-up to the Sochi Games, the opening ceremony of which …

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Gay Bashing As An Olympic Sport

Via press release: The video is the newest fundraising tactic by the Russia Freedom Fund, which aims to raise a million dollars by the end of the Olympics to support LGBT Russian activists. The video was produced by the Fair Games Project, an Indiegogo campaign launched by filmmaker Michael Rohrbaugh. The Fair Games Project also produced a powerful gun violence PSA that received significant attention last year. Athlete Ally is …

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Queer Nation Protests Against Putin Outside New York City’s Russian Consulate

This afternoon Queer Nation staged a protest against Vladimir Putin outside the Russian consulate on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

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Britain’s Channel 4 Rebrands Logo During Olympics In Support Of Russian Gays

This is fantastic. Via the Guardian: Channel 4 is to rebrand its on-screen logo with rainbow colours of the gay pride flag – and launch a TV ad campaign called “Gay Mountain” – joining the rising wave of protests about Russia’s anti-gay laws on the eve of the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Channel 4, which has the TV …

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Openly Gay MEP Cuts Up Visa Card In Protest Against Sochi Olympics

Pink News reports: Labour MEP for the West Midlands, Michael Cashman stunned the European Parliament today by publicly cutting up his Visa card in protest at the company’s sponsorship of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Mr Cashman, who was a co-founder of Stonewall and a star of British soap opera EastEnders, has previously said that “hate speech” from Russian …

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