The truth about Russian Vodka Boycotts, Stoli Stolichnaya and ALL OUT Boycotts

Ask IOL to move the Olympics from Sochi. By Melanie Nathan, August 07, 2013. U.S. President Barack Obama today criticized a new Russian law cracking down on gay rights activism, saying he has “no patience for countries that try to treat gays and lesbians and transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful […]

Russia Spills Gay Blood We Spill Russian Vodka at SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL By Melanie Nathan.  August 07, 2013. “Russia Spills Gay Blood We Spill Russian Vodka” read my sign today, as I joined my fellow activists from Gays Without Borders, when we poured Russian vodka onto San Francisco’s street outside City Hall and called […]

YOU SPILL GAY BLOOD WE SPILL RUSSIAN VODKA | Noon San Francisco City Hall August 06, 2013. By Melanie Nathan, August 05, 2013. PINKNews is Reporting  and we have not yet independently verified: The gay teenager who was kidnapped and tortured by Russian neo-Nazis has died from his injuries it has been claimed. Spectrum Human […]

“The contradiction glares when HRC asks the IOC to ensure “special treatment’ for American athletes and visitors. I find it unconscionable of HRC not to be taking the ultimate stand for a BOYCOTT of the Olympic SOCHI Games in Russia and using their immense power and membership to demand that  IOC  move the games out […]

Rep. Nadler Leads Bipartisan Letter to Protect LGBT Rights at 2014 Olympic Games in Russia By Melanie Nathan, August 2, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, lead a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the protection […]

Protest Part of Global LGBT Solidarity Campaign By Melanie Nathan, August 02, 2013. San Francisco, CA — On Saturday, August 3, 2013, at 12:00 pm (noon) San Franciscans will gather at the Russian Consulate at 2790 Green Street (near Baker Street) to protest new anti-gay laws passed in Russia that subject LGBT Russians and foreign […]

“…but if he goes onto the street and starts propagandizing it, then of course he will be held accountable” By Cathy Kristofferson, August 1, 2013 A series of tweets from @r_sport, who bills themselves as the “Official host news agency for @Sochi2014″, alerted me to renewed confirmation that Sochi Olympic athletes will NOT in fact be […]

By Cathy Kristofferson, July 31, 2013 Today kicked off Embassy and Consulate protests in the U.S. against Russia’s LGBT human rights violations with actions in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. We have blogged on the protests as actions people can take to help raise awareness about the worsening conditions for the Russian […]

10 ways to STOP the Russian terror of Gays By Melanie Nathan, July 26, 2013. Anti-gay sentiment and violence against LGBTI people has been a Russian habit for some time. However in recent months it has escalated with lack of basic law and order, exacerbated by Vladamir Putin’s legislative onslaught through various laws that criminalize […]

“I can’t point to any country of the world today that is a model for the rest of the world, except perhaps for Russia” Scott Lively, radical Christian extremist By Cathy Kristofferson, July 22, 2013 For a while we have been following the ramped up anti-gay extremism taking place in Russia, which culminated with the […]

How will this not happen during the Olympics! By Cathy Kristofferson, July 21, 2013 Updates posted below. So it has begun.  Russia today arrested tourists ‘violating’ their new anti-gay propaganda law.About an hour ago, the LGBT Russian Network posted on their Facebook wall: “URGENT NEWS! In Murmansk city (North Russia) 3 Dutch citizens detained by the […]

‘Protecting children from the ”advancement and promotion of homosexuality, especially among minors.”‘ By Cathy Kristofferson, July 09, 2013 A few weeks ago rumor had it that Belarus was looking to be the first country in Europe to re-criminalize homosexuality by amending its Criminal Code, to punish gays with up to 10 years imprisonment and confiscation of their […]

An action to demonstrate the danger of  the new anti-LGBT laws By Cathy Kristofferson, July 2, 2013 Amidst current graphic protests, there is a renewed call for the boycott of the Sochi Olympics, as gay arrests continue in Russia following President Putin’s signing into law the nationwide so-called “anti-propaganda bill,” banning the so called ‘promotion’ […]

Clashes lead to arrests and detentions at St. Petersburg “Ravnopraviye” Pride Event By Cathy Kristofferson, June 29, 2013 Today in St. Petersburg, Russia pro-and anti-gay supporters clashed at a gay pride event organized by ”Ravnopraviye” (Equal Rights.) The event had been sanctioned by the authorities.  The rally-march was organized to protest recent legislation banning “promotion of non-traditional […]

by Cathy Kristofferson, June 28, 2013 Today 5 same-gender couples applied for marriage licenses in the registry office in the Admiralty Side, a district of St. Petersburg, Russia.  Officials at the registry explained that the licenses are only intended for couples of opposite gender and sent them on their way.  This is a bold move in […]

“If they feel strongly about human rights they should boycott the Olympics in Sochi.” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 18, 2013 RUSA LGBT, a Russian-Speaking American LGBTQ group in New York City, is calling for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The lower house of the Russian Duma  last week unanimously passed their […]

The Bill is based on myth as expounded by Russian Deputy Speaker, who said:  “If a child ends up with a homosexual couple, it could cause severe damage and the child ends up with a distorted perception of reality.” By Melanie Nathan, June 18, 2013. As same-sex marriage is increasing in acceptance around the world, […]

By Cathy Kristofferson, June 10, 2013 Update 6/30: President Putin today signed this bill into law. Proponents argue it is for the protection of children, but critics still allege it part of a broad crackdown on Russia’s LGBT community.  For his part Mr. Putin tells international critics “We ask you not to interfere in our […]

“The purpose of my visit was to bring a warning about the homosexual political movement which has done much damage to my country and which has now taken root in Russia. This is a very fast-growing social cancer that will destroy the family foundations of your society if you do not take immediate, effective action […]

Russian police detained a punk group called Pussy Riot on Friday after they performed a protest song criticising Vladimir Putin next to Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The Pussy Riot an all-female band, wearing  brightly colored mini-dresses and balaclavas, were arrested after their protest song slammed  the “Putin-system,” prostitution, and sexism. The all female group, […]

By Guest writer Paul Canning, Dec 30, 2011 And Other Russian matter for consideration- A third Russian region has passed an anti-gay law banning LGBT organizing and public actions. Five activists have been arrested whilst protesting the law.   Kostroma, a region located 300 km north east of Moscow, has become the third Russian region to […]

“He was then taken away by the police out of the demonstration and told he will not be allowed to use the rainbow flag in the protest any further.”  30 December 2011 | By Guest Dan Littauer LGBT political activists in Russia are reporting abuse  at Pro-Democracy rallies across the country through  gay protestors being […]

by Paul Canning, Dec 13, 2011- The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, told activists today that she would raise the discriminatory laws at the EU-Russia summit.  She received in Brussels a 246,000 petition along with the Presidents of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT rights, Michael Cashman and Ulrike […]

“They were discussing human rights when suddenly the police and migration officers burst inside.” By Cathy Kristofferson, July 22, 2013 Today a court hearing scheduled in Murmansk, Russia for the Dutch tourists arrested on ‘gay propaganda’ charges. It would seem that the judge did not hear the matter but rather “returned the case materials for […]

“Politicians specifically sought to avoid debating the bill in public.” By Cathy Kristofferson, July 18, 2013 An article introduced in the Parliament of Moldova on May 23rd titled “Public activities with negative impact on minors” has now been secretly passed and adopted.  Today, the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights is reporting that “A new […]

by Melanie Nathan, July 15, 2013. Does Edward Snowden know that if he said one pro-gay or LGBTI supportive word Putin could arrest him and he could go to jail? I find Snowden’s actions in complimenting the Russian authorities and their human rights record self serving, unnecessary and nothing more than one big Putanic arse-lick […]

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 […]