Olympic Torch's Debut Already Met With Protest

[William769]

The Olympic flame has started its voyage from Athens to Sochi and already the Russian version of the games is being met with protest over the country's antigay laws.

The Los Angeles Times reports that "a few dozen" protestors rallied in Athens. Reuters reports that the activists raised a rainbow flag outside the Acropolis.

The Greek LGBT youth group "Colour Youth" promoted the protest and participants reportedly held banners reading "Homophobia is not in the Olympic Spirit" and "Love is not Propaganda."

"Russia receives the Olympic flame, a globally recognized symbol of humanitarian ideals," the group said in a statement reported by Reuters. "Yet the laws in Russia are far from the ideals of human rights when it comes to LGBTQ people, who are tortured, abused and discriminated against. We choose not to be silent this day."

http://www.advocate.com/sports/2013/10/05/photos-olympic-torchs-debut-already-met-protest

[William769]

1. Kick.

[BrotherIvan]

2. I hope with pressure from the world, this may help to change these awful laws

The world is watching!

[William769]

3. Let's hope!

[BrotherIvan]

6. Backatcha!

[DevonRex]

4. Beautiful protesters on a gorgeous day. That love shines brighter than Russia's hate.

There are loving LGBT families in Russia who are afraid their children will be taken from them by the state. That would be a crime if it happened. Those children are afraid their parents will be arrested under the anti-gay propaganda law. And they're afraid their parents will be beaten in the streets. Because those things are already happening in Russia now.

I was interested to read that Russia is also pushing for antiabortion laws. They recently rejected sex education in schools. And they're pushing for the morning after pill to be by prescription only. I won't link to the RT article I read, but it talked about raising children to be "chaste" and that Russian literature is all the sex education a teenager needs. It also talked about the US birth rate rising 20% when the morning after pill was prescription. Apparently there is a movement afoot to increase the population of Russians in Russia. Sound familiar?

[uppityperson]

5. k&r. And then there are the mittens

Yes, I know they are the colors of the rings, which happen to be the rainbow colors, all of which are for being inclusive of all people, which thinking it through wtf to the Russians. So, k&r.

http://www.sochi2014.com/en/media/news/74532/