Mexican Catholic Bishop: Homophobia is a Mental Illness

I can hear heads exploding at the Vatican and bishopric around the globe (they probably had to call 911 for blowhard Bill Donohue of the Catholic League) over remarks by Mexican Bishop, Raúl Vera (pictured above), who believes that homophobes are actually the depraved ones, not gays.  While Bishop Vera doesn't get all of the theories of what causes some of us to be gay, he does get right the theory a prominent researcher explained to me some years ago that hormones play a role in determining sexual orientation in vitro.  In short, unlike most of the Catholic Church hierarchy he comes close to accepting modern scientific knowledge rather than the ignorant writings of wandering nomads from 2500 years ago. Blabbeando has details.  Here are excerpts:

A lot has been said about Pope Francis' recent of the cuff comments on gays ("Who am I to judge?") and hundreds of religious leaders world wide have been asked to share their thoughts but I was still surprised to see this interview with Saltillo Bishop Raúl Vera posted by Terra Mexico yesterday ("Homophobia is a mental illness: Saltillo bishop").

The Bishop has some funky theories on what determines whether someone is born gay (he chalks it up to hormonal differences) but speaks forcefully against religious based homophobia and calls homophobes the perverse ones. 

Here is Bishop Vera on a mother who worried her son was hanging out with a bunch of "degenerate gays':

One mother came to me and said that she was being watchful of her son because he was hanging out with "those degenerate gays" and I said "so blame yourself for it because that's the way your son developed in your womb and he didn't develop into a degenerate or a perverse person. He was born with a certain constitution you are trying to ignore. Calm down, you are the mother of that child and he began to be who he now is inside your womb. So the first one I'd kick out would be you because you are the perverse one who is first in line." That's what I said.

And on homophobes:

Why would I immediately think a gay or lesbian person is perverse or depraved the moment they approach me? That's how people who are homophobic react. It's a mental illness in which you see gays as depraved and promiscuous.  You have to be sick in the head for that.

He also tells the reporter people have to stop bashing gays with the words of the Bible and that they should read the passages they use to condemn gays within a historical context to realize the Bible does not condemn homosexuality.
Yesterday's interview is not the first time Bishop has supported LGBT issues. The AP says that he backed a same-sex civil unions law in the region and was called to the Vatican two years ago to explain an outreach program he organized for gay youth.

He has also received death threats for his outspokenness.

Kudos to Bishop Vera.  Would that the self-loathing queens in Rone (and in Richmond and Arlington, Virginia) were so enlightened.  One humorous aside on the blog post is this:

Over at Reddit, there has been some back and forth on whether Bishop Vera was insensitive in calling homophobia a "mental illness" from people who feel it unfairly groups people diagnosed with mental illness with people who hate gays.

For those who don't follow Blabbeando regularly, it has excellent coverage of LGBT issues in Central and South America.  Interestingly enough, some years back both this blog and Blabbeando were listed in the top 100 LGBT blogs by the UK's Lesbian and Gay Foundation.  It was the editor of Blabbeando, Andrés Duque, who let me know this blog had been so honored.

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Obama to Leno: "I Have No Patience' for the Persecution of Gay People in Russia"

On the Jay Leno show, Barack Obama said nice words about his opposition to what is happening to gays in Russia.  However, as is always the case with Obama, the question is whether those nice words will translate into concrete actions.  I for one, will not be holding my breath.  After all, we still have no ENDA like executive order protecting federal employees and those working for government contractors.  Towleroad looks at the Leno-Obama exchange:

President Obama appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night and offered a broad interview on a number of current topics, one of which was the current situation with Russia. After a discussion of the Edward Snowden NSA case, Leno expressed his dismay at Russia's anti-gay laws, and wondered why it isn't a bigger story?

Leno:

"This seems like Germany - let's round up the Jews, let's round up the gays, let's round up the...it starts with that. You round up people you don't like. Why isn't more of the world outraged at this?"

Obama:

"I've been very clear that when it comes to universal rights, when it comes to people's basic freedoms, that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, you are violating the basic morality that should transcend every country, and I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.”

Obama then brought up the situations he encountered on his recent trip to Africa:

"What's happening in Russia is not unique. When I traveled to Africa there were some countries that are doing a lot of good things for their people, who we're working with and helping on development issues but in some cases have persecuted gays and lesbians and it makes for some uncomfortable press conferences sometimes but one of the things that I think is very important for me to speak out on is making sure that people are treated fairly and justly because that's what we stand for and I believe that's not a preset that's not just unique to America but should apply everywhere."

Again, the question is whether these correct words lead to action or remain merely words.  Mr. Obama, are you listening?

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Madonna and Lady Gaga Accused of Breaking Russian Visa Rules

One has to wonder how one successfully prosecutes someone for a visa rule violation long after they have left your country.  One also has to wonder if anti-gay politicians in Russia have lost their minds in attacking international figures like Madonna and Lady Gaga in the context of the already raging controversy over Russia's state sanctioned persecution of gays prior to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.  The bellicose behavior may play well with lunatics of the Russian Orthodox Church, but it sure isn't going to calm the nerves of the spineless International Olympic Committee.  The Guardian has details on the ongoing insanity and anti-anti-gay jihad in Russia.  Here are details:

Russian officials are considering prosecution against Lady Gaga and Madonna after discovering they entered the country under incorrect paperwork.

The office of Russia's prosecutor general has issued a statement confirming that neither singer obtained an appropriate visa prior to performing there last year. Madonna, who played in August 2012, and Gaga, who appeared in December, travelled under cultural-exchange visas. These documents "do not grant their bearers the right to engage in any commercial activity," authorities said. According to the Russian legal information agency, prosecutors are now considering asking Russia's foreign ministry or federal migration service to press charges.

As any foreigner who has visited Moscow will know, Russian immigration can be extremely complicated. But Gaga and Madonna's mistakes weren't just discovered by accident: prosecutors launched their investigation only after being contacted by one of the singers' most outspoken enemies.

The man in question was Vitaly Milonov, who serves in St Petersburg's municipal legislature and authored St Petersburg's law banning gay "propaganda" – a model for recent legislation passed by the Duma. After Gaga and Madonna spoke in support of LGBT issues at their 2012 concerts, Milonov tried to pursue them in court for "promoting sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism among minors". These claims were unsuccessful.

Russian entertainment promoters worry that the prosecutors' announcement could have a chilling effect on future tours by western performers, as well as tourism for this winter's Sochi Games. "Not one artist, circus or exhibition will come here if the prosecutor's office fines someone now," Yevgeny Finkelstein, a promoter in St Petersburg, told RIA Novosti.

One can only assume that Russian politicians want to return Russia to the status of a destination to be avoided as in the bad old days of the Soviet Union.  When it comes to spinning PR and the news media, I'd put my money on Madonna and Lady Gaga rather than fat homophobes in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

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The Catholic Church: RUN! Do Not Walk, to the Nearest Exit!

Father Geoff Farrow - who ran afoul of the Catholic Church hierarchy because of his support for gay rights and marriage equality - has a timely post on his blog that looks at the recent remarks by Pope Francis which some are foolishly trying to claim mark a new era for the Church's treatment of gays.  Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other Church documents, Farrow concludes that NOTHING HAS CHANGED.  Thus, if one is a gay Catholic, the best thing to do is head for the door.  As I tell those who contact me about coming out and finding self-acceptance, only a masochist would remain in a Church that teaches that one is inherently disordered.  Here are highlights from Farrow's post:

Yesterday my phone rang, it was a reporter from a news station in Fresno asking for an interview on the pope Francis’ statement on gay priests. Later, Telemundo called asking to arrange for a camera crew to interview me at home. I sighed as I poured myself a cup of coffee and then read through the statement.

Bottom line: It is a way of appearing to change everything without changing anything.

Substitute the word “straight” for “gay” and you begin to see the problem; in fact, whenever an issue arises regarding gender orientation, simply do that: Substitute the word “straight” for “gay.” Does the statement still make sense?

It only makes sense if you believe that being gay is somehow disordered or defective. The official teaching of the Catholic church is precisely just that. The Official Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2357 states:

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

Here is the translation of what the pope is saying in plain English, taken directly from the Catholic Catechism:

2359   Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Bottom line:  "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." Under no circumstances can they be approved. Homosexual persons are called to chastity.

Forget whatever your sexual orientation is, could you live this way? Could you spend your entire life without intimately loving someone else? Could YOU?

Catholic moral theology isolates sex as “an act” and in doing this, it thereby effectively de-humanizes sex by removing it from its natural context, i.e. a relationship. 

At best, Francis is signaling a gentle course correction for Catholic bishops on this issue. When you’re an infallible institution, you can’t admit you made a mistake, you can’t admit that you have been wrong. Individual lives that are ruined or destroyed are unfortunate “collateral damage” that are sacrificed for the reputation of the institution.

But make no mistake, this pope’s congenial words offer ZERO relief for LGBT Catholics. They make no attempt to repair past evils inflicted on innocent people and so my advice is: leave! If you are LGBT leave the Catholic church, you can do better. If you are the parent or a family member of an LGBT person: leave! Your loved ones deserve better. If you are the parent of a child, leave! Your children absolutely deserve a healthier development. To raise an LGBT child in the Catholic church today constitutes de facto child abuse. 

I totally agree with his view that raising a gay child in the Catholic Church is de facto child abuse.  The same, of course, holds for the Southern Baptist Convention and other anti-gay denominations.  

 

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Vladimir Putin’s War on Gays

I've commented a number of times on the all out war on gays being waged in Russia with the active support of dictator Vladimir Putin and the top levels of the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church.  Sadly, the governments of most nations in the world are doing little or nothing to condemn this anti-gay jihad which is part of a larger pattern of brutality and persecution in Russia.  The New York Times had a great editorial over the weekend condemning what is currently occurring in Russia.  Here are excerpts:

To the long list of Russians whom President Vladimir Putin is persecuting, add gay people and those who support gay rights. Along with political dissidents, journalists and billionaire businessmen, they are increasingly the focus of repellent laws and repressive practices that could send them, and anyone who dares defend them, to jail. 

For some time, antigay sentiment has been spreading in Russia’s conservative society, encouraged by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church. But Mr. Putin and his government have taken that to a new level by legitimizing the hatemongering in legislation. 

Earlier this month, he signed a law banning the adoption of Russian-born children to gay couples and to any couple or single parent living in any country where marriage equality exists. Last month, Mr. Putin signed a law allowing the police to arrest tourists and foreigners suspected of being gay or pro-gay and detain them for up to 14 days. He also signed a bill classifying “homosexual” propaganda as pornography with vague wording that could subject anyone arguing for tolerance or educating children about homosexuality to arrest and fines. 

There is no defense for such actions, which occur against a backdrop of growing violence against gays and could be seen as a license for even more violence. Russia is in danger of moving from pursuing the rule of law to the rule of hate. The new laws contravene Russian commitments to human rights and fundamental freedoms under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They also contradict the charter of the International Olympic Committee, which calls sport a “human right” and states that “every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind.” 

The United States, which has made great strides in accepting and protecting gay rights, has expressed concern about the new laws but needs to be more forceful. So does the International Olympic Committee, which too often fails to defend the Olympic ideals and should be leading a full-throated international campaign to insist that Russia repeal these laws. 

As noted before, in my view, the International Olympic Committee is worthless.  A bowl of Jell-o has more spine.  If the 2014 games go off in Russia, it will be reminiscent of the 1936 games in Berlin. 

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Russia: the Evil of Religious Based Hate on Full Display

As a Russian history major in college, I am fully aware that Russia has plenty of dark and evil events in its history.  In this modern age, one would think that a nation that claims to be modern the return of religious fueled evil would not be taking place.  Sadly, politicians eager to win the backing of the Russian Orthodox Church (which has a horrible history of siding with despots and whipping up anti-Jewish pogroms) have jumped fully on board the train to make gays and homosexuality scape goats to distract the Russian populace of the huge problems plaguing Russia.  With the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church spewing anti-gay statements and nasty individuals like Vladimir Putin taking advantage of the situation, gays are now open game for abuse, murder and criminal prosecution.  Things are so bad that Canada recently issued a tourism advisory recommending that gays not travel to Russia.  Perhaps worse of all is the fact that with the tacit blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church, those who torment, torture or even kill gays feel justified in what they do.  Religion - and the politicians who are only too happy prostitute themselves to extremists - proves itself again to be a great force for evil.  Here are highlights from a piece in the San Francisco Chronicle:

While we were initially hesitant to publish the video, the fact is that the video is everywhere now and it would be futile to try and hide it.

We reached out to Larry Poltavtsev, a U.S.-based tech entrepreneur who was one of the first people to bring the video to the attention of the English-speaking world, with the help of his Spectrum Human Rights Alliance. Poltavtsev helped explain why the video was so horrifying.

In the video, which appears to have been shot in the winter in the suburbs of a Russian city, a 15-year-old boy has been lured to a meeting place by the fictional online persona "Uncle Dima." However, once he is there he is met by a gang of young men and women. These young men and women apparently created a fake "Uncle Dima" account on VK, a Russian social network similar to Facebook, to lure the young boy to the meeting place.

Clearly under duress, the 15-year-old is then forced to "confess" to being a homosexual. He is forced to reveal his full name, the school he goes to, his parents' names, home address, etc.

Perhaps what is most remarkable about the video is that the gang that attacks the boy clearly feels proud of their actions. A number appear clearly in the video, and while one does wear a mask at one point, this may be more for intimidation. At another point an older lady comes into the frame, and she commends the gang for their actions, and tells the boy to be ashamed of himself.

According to Poltavtsev, the video is part of a wider problem. A former skinhead who has faced jail time for neo-Nazi crimes, Maxim Martsinkevich, has been the ringleader in two projects: "Occupy Pedophilyaj" and "Occupy Gerontilyaj." While these projects ostensibly have the aim of catching pedophiles, in reality, Poltavtsev says, fake VK profiles are used to find and publicly humiliate young gay men. The police do little to help, Poltavtsev says, and besides, most young men are too afraid to go public about the crimes. "Being outed in a small Russian town is like being killed," Poltavtsev said. "So, many resort to a suicide."

Poltavtsev says that largely the Russian media hasn't touched the subject, with a couple of notable exceptions.  Earlier this month Lenta.ru sent a reporter to the Urals, one of the places where the "Occupy Pedophilyaj" movement was strongest, to investigate. "If I had it my way, we would kill [homosexuals]," one member of the group tells the journalist. Another Russian story says that the victims are sometimes as young as 11 years old. 

It's hard to watch this video and agree with people who feel that Russia is being unfairly portrayed as homophobic. 

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee is too spineless to tell Russia that the 2014 Winter Games will be moved to another site if the laws are not repealed.  I am not saying the games need to be cancelled or boycotted.  The venue needs to be moved and Putin and Russia humiliated in the process.  Otherwise, the International Olympic Committee will be acting as it did in the 1930's when the Summer Games were held in Hitler's Germany.

 

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Russia Says It Will Arrest Openly Gay Tourists

Russia is seemingly trying hard to force the International Olympic Committee to rethink holding the 2014 winter games in Russia.   Why else announce that "openly gay tourists" will be arrested?  Vladimir Putin must be indeed desperate to (i) distract Russians from the failure of his rule and (ii) kiss the ass of the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy which has always backed dictators.  Travel and Escape has details.  Here are excerpts:

Thinking of taking a vacation to Europe this summer? If a trip to iconic city of Moscow or the edgier St. Petersburg is on your bucket list, an anti-gay law recently passed in Russia may have you thinking again. It is now outlawed to be ‘out and proud.’ 

In a throwback to the country’s authoritarian ruling, Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a controversial law that punishes people for “homosexual propaganda.” The law fines people—including tourists—up to 200,000 rubles ($6,240 CDN) for “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.” For Canadians—where same-sex marriage is legal—it is unfathomable that Russia’s laws permit the government to arrest and detain gay, or pro-gay, foreigners for up to 14 days before they would then be expelled from the country.

So what is considered pro-gay? Anything from gay-affirmative speech to hand-holding; even displaying a rainbow flag alongside a maple leaf on your backpack is illegal. Recently in southern Russia, there were complaints that Elton John’s stage outfits fell under “gay propaganda.” While LGBT are being told they are unwelcome in Russia, with such vague definitions, one wonders if anyone who even looks like they might be gay could also be fined or deported from the country.

According to Voice of Russia, any display of affection between same-sex couples could cause a “distorted understanding” that gay relations and heterosexual relations are socially equivalent, and risk spreading Western liberalism. Putin claims the law doesn’t discriminate against LGBT people, but rather—in an argument riddled with faulty logic—is there to “protect children from pedophilia.”

And how are these new laws going to impact tourism and the world’s spotlight on the upcoming 2014 Winter Games in Sochi? Will LGBT visitors—or anyone who embraces the gay community—want to visit the games? While Russia’s laws stigmatize and target the gay community, Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism is working to encourage the LGBT community to visit. Brazil, which is hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, as well as the 2014 World Cup.

Fortunately, for LGBT travellers looking to take a vacation, there are other parts of the world more receptive to welcoming them with open arms—or at least not promising your vacation could wind up with jail time. 

Russia is definitely on my "do not visit" list - even though I was a Russian history major in college.

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40 Years Later Catholic Church Apologizes for Lack of Compassion for Anti-Gay Arson Victims

Personally, I believe that when the scales are balanced, religion, particularly Christianity, has done more harm and ruined and destroyed countless more lives than it has saved or aided.  Put another way, Christianity and religion in general have proved to be a pestilence to mankind.  Hate, bigotry, discrimination and the out right murder of those of other faiths have sadly been the norm rather than the exception.  Even within the last decade an Anglican Archbishop i Africa is suspected of having ordered the massacre of over 600 men, women and children.  Making matters even worse, break away Episcopal parishes in America have aligned themselves with such hate-filled and murderous clerics.  A piece in the UK's Daily Mail looks at the Catholic Church's belated apology for its behavior following the Upstairs Loungearson attack that claimed 32 lives.  Here are article highlights:

New Orleans marked the 40th anniversary on Saturday of one of the saddest days of its history and a tragic event which is regarded as the largest mass murder of gay people in U.S. history.

The Upstairs Lounge arson attack occurred on June 24, 1973 when a flash fire tore through a gay bar in New Orleans’ French Quarter.   In less than 20 minutes, 32 people were killed, dozens more critically injured and those who managed to escape watched helplessly as friends and lovers burned to death before their eyes. 

At the time local politicians and religious leaders wanted nothing to do with it and little effort was made to bring whoever started the suspected arson to justice.  The powerful Catholic Archbishop of New Orleans at the time, Phillip Hannan, did not offer his support or sympathy to victims.

Now 40 years on, the event is gaining greater recognition for its significant role in the fight for greater rights for gay people.  This year’s milestone anniversary was marked with a special mass in New Orleans, while the current Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has apologized for the church's silence over the tragic event.

'In retrospect, if we did not release a statement we should have to be in solidarity with the victims and their families,' Archbishop Gregory Aymond recently wrote in an email to TIME.   'The church does not condone violence and hatred. If we did not extend our care and condolences, I deeply apologize.'

New Orleans in the early 1970s was an extremely homophobic place as typified by the response of authorities following the fire.  Neither Mayor Moon Landrieu or any other government official made a public statement about the tragedy. 

The UpStairs Lounge fire was a seminal moment in the history of gay New Orleans and significant advancements have been made in the years since and now the city leads the South in extending civil rights to gay city employees. 

Other events being held to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy include a lecture at the Historic New Orleans Collection, a jazz funeral procession from there to the site of the fire and even a musical. 

The city recognizes domestic partnerships for gay and straight couples, and Mayor Mitch Landrieu - son of Moon Landrieu - has issued an official certificate commemorating the anniversary of the fire, something that would have been unthinkable for his father to do at the time of the fire.

Better late than never is how the saying goes, but sadly, the Catholic Church is still preaching and disseminating the same anti-gay vitriol that helped create the mindset that caused 32 individuals to lose their lives with little or no response for government officials.  Religion is a form of poison that yields death and damaged lives as its principal fruits.

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Russian Winter Olympics To Embrace Gay Athletes Despite Anti-Gat Gag Law

Fanning the flames of homophobia may be a good way for Vladimir Putin's government to distract the Russian public from all of the things wrong under his rule and a way to curry favor with the gay-hating modern day Pharisees in the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church who long for a return to the 19th century, but the passage of insane anti-gay laws may be about to bit Russia in the ass big time as preparations continue for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Already, Russia is facing blow back from the International Olympic Committee not to mention calls for a boycott of the Games due to the Russian Government's anti-gay policies.  The further irony, of course, is that the Olympics originated in Classical Greece when homosexuality was wide spread and aristocratic youths who did not have male lovers were considered abnormal.  Gay Star News looks at the rumblings coming from the International Olympic Committee.  Here are some highlights:

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said it will embrace openly gay athletes when it travels to Russia in 2014.
After the State Duma passed the ‘non-traditional relationships propaganda’ law by a unanimous vote yesterday (11 June), there are fears of repercussions when it comes to the Sochi Olympics.
While the legislation is not law yet, it is expected to easily pass in the Russian Senate and be legal by the end of the month.
Under the new ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, tourists deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ could be arrested and deported.
Speaking to Gay Star News, an IOC spokesman said they were ‘concerned’ about the bill becoming law.
‘The IOC would like to reiterate our long commitment to non-discrimination against those taking part in the Olympic Games,’ they said.
‘The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-winter-olympics-embraces-gay-athletes-face-gay-gag-law120613#sthash.FC0esNTB.dpuf

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said it will embrace openly gay athletes when it travels to Russia in 2014.
After the State Duma passed the ‘non-traditional relationships propaganda’ law by a unanimous vote yesterday (11 June), there are fears of repercussions when it comes to the Sochi Olympics.
While the legislation is not law yet, it is expected to easily pass in the Russian Senate and be legal by the end of the month.
Under the new ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, tourists deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ could be arrested and deported.
Speaking to Gay Star News, an IOC spokesman said they were ‘concerned’ about the bill becoming law.
‘The IOC would like to reiterate our long commitment to non-discrimination against those taking part in the Olympic Games,’ they said.
‘The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-winter-olympics-embraces-gay-athletes-face-gay-gag-law120613#sthash.FC0esNTB.dpuf

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said it will embrace openly gay athletes when it travels to Russia in 2014.
After the State Duma passed the ‘non-traditional relationships propaganda’ law by a unanimous vote yesterday (11 June), there are fears of repercussions when it comes to the Sochi Olympics.
While the legislation is not law yet, it is expected to easily pass in the Russian Senate and be legal by the end of the month.
Under the new ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, tourists deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ could be arrested and deported.
Speaking to Gay Star News, an IOC spokesman said they were ‘concerned’ about the bill becoming law.
‘The IOC would like to reiterate our long commitment to non-discrimination against those taking part in the Olympic Games,’ they said.
‘The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-winter-olympics-embraces-gay-athletes-face-gay-gag-law120613#sthash.FC0esNTB.dpuf

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said it will embrace openly gay athletes when it travels to Russia in 2014.
After the State Duma passed the ‘non-traditional relationships propaganda’ law by a unanimous vote yesterday (11 June), there are fears of repercussions when it comes to the Sochi Olympics.
While the legislation is not law yet, it is expected to easily pass in the Russian Senate and be legal by the end of the month.
Under the new ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, tourists deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ could be arrested and deported.
Speaking to Gay Star News, an IOC spokesman said they were ‘concerned’ about the bill becoming law.
‘The IOC would like to reiterate our long commitment to non-discrimination against those taking part in the Olympic Games,’ they said.
‘The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-winter-olympics-embraces-gay-athletes-face-gay-gag-law120613#sthash.FC0esNTB.dpuf

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said it will embrace openly gay athletes when it travels to Russia in 2014.

After the State Duma passed the ‘non-traditional relationships propaganda’ law by a unanimous vote yesterday (11 June), there are fears of repercussions when it comes to the Sochi Olympics.   While the legislation is not law yet, it is expected to easily pass in the Russian Senate and be legal by the end of the month.

Under the new ‘homosexual propaganda’ law, tourists deemed to be ‘promoting homosexuality’ could be arrested and deported.  

Speaking to Gay Star News, an IOC spokesman said they were ‘concerned’ about the bill becoming law.  ‘The IOC would like to reiterate our long commitment to non-discrimination against those taking part in the Olympic Games,’ they said.  ‘The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.’

 

Obviously, I would like to see the games relocated to a different venue.  This would send Putin and the raging homophobes in the Russian Orthodox Church a strong message:  get on board with modernity and equality for all or be relegated to a the status of a boorish backwater.  I don't know if the IOC has the balls to make such a move, but it would hit Putin and Russia where it counts, in the pocket book.  Plus, it would constitute a major humiliation to Russia.  Russia needs to get the message that if it wants to act like a bigoted backwater, then the cost will be that it doesn't get to host the Olympics and other world class events.   Then the blow back could be directed at the homophobes and religious extremists who were ultimately responsible for the heinous legislation.  Bigotry needs to be made to carry a high price.

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