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Will the Olympic athletes attending the Sochi Olympic Games follow her lead?

By Cathy Kristofferson, July 4, 2013

Academy award winning actress Tilda Swinton yesterday risked arrest by standing with a rainbow flag in Red Square Moscow in clear violation of Russia’s new national so-called anti-gay “promotion” law.

The picture was posted to Twitter by her agent, openly gay Christian Hodell:

@christianhodell
Please share this message from Tilda: “In solidarity. From Russia with love.”

Her activism followed President Vladimir Putin signing the latest in a string of anti-gay law – the ban on adoptions by nations where same-sex marriage is legal.  See OBLOGDEE story here on that bill.

In reply to a reader’s comment here on the BLOG piece calling for a boycott of the Sochi Russia Olympic Games I has noted that if the athletes will not boycott the games that they at least walk into the Opening Ceremonies not only waving the usual flags of their home countries but also rainbow flags in solidarity with their fellow LGBT athletes and the LGBT community in Russia.

The International Olympic Committee is still silent on how they will ensure the safety of the athletes and all who attend the Games in a country violating the IOC’s own charter for non-discrimination.

Russia  is a country where laws are restrictive, prejudicial and represent negative depictions of LGBT people, ad also where homophobia and its related violence continues to escalate.

If they won’t arrest Tilda Swinton, they won’t arrest Olympic athletes especially during such a widely publicized event.  So, what do you say Olympic Athletes?  If not the Opening Ceremonies perhaps the Closing?

#BoycottSochi #BoycottOlympics #welovetilda

Related articles:-

• Renewed calls for Olympic boycott as gay arrests continue in Russia (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Violent Arrests at pro-Gay Rally in Russia (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Call to Boycott Olympics in homophobic Russia reminds of Apartheid South Africa (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Protests and arrests as Russia’s State Duma passes anti-gay promotion bill unanimously (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
• Russian bill set to stop adoption to nations allowing same-sex marriage (oblogdeeoblogda.me)