Russia's Anti-Gay Interferance with the 2014 Olympics: An Interactive Article by CNN

In Russia, there has been word that since the new anti-gay law banning the “attractiveness of nontraditional relationships” (‘non-traditional’ in this sense meaning any sexual orientation besides heterosexual), athletes, coaches and anyone that visits Russia for the Olympics that are a part of the LGBTQIA community, naturally, do not feel safe. In the video of the link of the CNN article below, one reporter interviews gay Olympic athlete, Blake Skjellerup. In the video, it’s stated that Skjellerup is the only known gay athlete to be competing in the Olympics with Russia being the host. Due to Russia’s crackdown on the LGBTQIA community and their allies, Skjellerup feels the great need to stand up to this oppressive, discriminatory law just as others have done in the past. In the video, it shows past revolutionary stances of groups that were severely discriminated against. Track and field athlete Jesse Owens is an example used in the video. He competed in the 1936 Olympic Games as an act of defiance in the post-Hitler Nazi-Germany era. Another example used in the video was the use of the ‘human rights salute’ when the Games took place in Mexico. American Olympic competitors Tommie Smith and John Carlos had worn black gloves and did the salute in the duration of the Mexican national anthem. Australian competitor Peter Norman also supported the human rights movement as all three of them wore human rights badges on their jackets. For the oncoming Olympics of 2014, LGBTQIA athletes have seen that this is their time to stand up to this injustice. The reporter goes on to say that non-heterosexual athletes state that, “Power is to show up; not boycott the Games”. Athlete Ally ambassador, athlete and activist Rennae Stubbs calls 2014 the LGBT’s community’s era of civil rights. Stubbs states that members of the LGBTQIA community are just as equal as every other athlete that will be competing in the 2014 Olympic Games. The video ends off with the stating of U.S. lawmaker Jeff Merkel of Oregon demanding that whomever competes or visits Russia for the Games will be adequately protected during their stay. The article definitely compliments the video with Russia’s Program Director at the Human Rights Watch, Tanya Lokshina, discussing about her experience with a friend she knew was gay. Her friend was basically told to keep his homosexuality to himself as it was frowned upon in the Soviet town he lived in. The article then goes on with stating that “that though things weren't easy for gay people in Russia, you did not have to stay shut in that closet for life.” That paragraph ends off with this being before the anti-gay was passed. The article carries on with the Russia’s lawmakers wanting there to be a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ atmosphere in Russia, despite the Olympics code of conduct for not discriminating against any athlete, coach or spectator for their race, creed, sex, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and any other human variation of the sort. There is a comment section available but, as with most other forums about any controversial, there were opposing and non-opposing sides for this article. One has the opportunity to share this article on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. There is also a comment section available with there being opposing and agreeing sides of the coin of Russia' anti-gay 'propaganda', the highest rated comment saying that Americans ought to wary that a law like this may pass in the U.S., where 'freedom' is only truly free if one fits in with the status quo of things.