Sign this petition from All Out: The Olympic Committee is letting Russia violate the Olympic Charter against discrimination. We need to speak out

From All Out:

Outrageous. The Olympic Committee just said they don't think Russia is violating the Olympic Charter – even though Russians are facing anti-gay arrests, violent attacks, and exclusion. 

Olympic host nations are supposed to obey seven principles and Principle 6 says discrimination of any kind is not allowed. But, the Olympic Committee is now acting like lesbian, gay, bi and trans people just don't count. 

Principle 6 – Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement" 

Equality doesn't work like that, so their position needs to be clear. Can you take two minutes to send a quick email to the new Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and ask him if lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are protected by Principle 6?

The Olympic Committee is accountable to us – the spectators, athletes, and customers of their billion-dollar sponsors. If thousands of us email new Olympic president Thomas Bach now, we can put him on notice. If he won't answer our question, millions of us could even take the fight to the corporate sponsors, forcing them to step in.Send an email directly to the Olympic Committee through All Out's website:https://www.allout.org/email-olympics-pres

Like in some states in the U.S., teachers in Russia can be fired for being gay. Is this what Putin means when he promises "equality for all"?

From FrontiersLA:

Olga Bakhaeva is 24 years old and works as a teacher of history and social studies in School No. 56, in Magnitogorsk: 

It all started with the “VKontakte” community (Russian social network like Facebook. NT). In May the “Straights Alliance for LGBT Equality” posted an item about the persecution of an LGBT teacher, and I left a comment that I was LGBT as well and that I worked in a school. That was the beginning! After a couple of hours, I received a message on “VKontakte” from a user named Valkiria Repina (according to the “Alliance of Heterosexuals”, that is the pseudonym of a man involved in attacks on LGBT demonstrations in St. Petersburg. Ed.). Repina told me to resign at once, otherwise they would “ruin my life”. 


In the “Parents of Russia” community (an aggressively anti-homosexual movement. Ed.), which is administered by this Valkiria, a post about me appeared, with my private photos and some unpleasant details. Then came more messages: “Why no answer? Tell us your decision. If you resign we shan’t distribute that information.”
I didn’t answer. I mean, I realised that this story wouldn’t die of its own accord. However, the demands were fascist. I was happy in my job, and wasn’t going to change it.

Full article here.

Putin has the audacity to lecture America and the world on human rights: "...we must not forget that God created us equal."

The last paragraph from Putin's op-ed piece this week in the New York Times:

My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

- Vladimir V. Putin is the president of Russia.

Vladmir Putin tries to lecture the U.S. about peace and human rights in this week's New York Times and fails.  He ignores that the fact that Syria has used chemical weapons (probably made with chemicals supplied by Russia) on its own people because Russia does not deeply care about human rights -- it never has nor does it care now.  Foremost for Putin is making Russia a great power on the world stage, like it was during the Soviet era.  

However, to be considered a great nation, you must act like one, and not jail or kill your domestic political opponents, not suppress democracy in your country, and not block constructive action at the UN on a whole host of human rights issues that are important to the civilized world.  

But this last sentence of Putin's op-ed really makes me mad for its hypocrisy: "we must not forget that God created us equal." No, Mr. Putin, we have not forgotten that God has made us equal but you have, especially in your unequal treatment of LGBT Russians.  That's why millions of people around the world are protesting your anti-gay laws and policies.  We watch the videos of gay activists being arrested, beaten...and worse.  You can lecture the world all you want on human rights, Mr. Putin, but you don't walk your talk.  You are an anti-democratic autocrat, not a great man of peace and humanist values.  

Mr. Putin, what makes America exceptional is that this country constantly talks about its problems and shortcomings in open and messy way, including those of its leaders.  We are working toward creating a more perfect union everyday, inspired by the great ideas embodied in the U.S. Constitution.  We have our problems and share of hypocrisy, but we are open about these things and are working on it. 

Nancy Pelosi is on the same page as me, listen to her: 

FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, is rightfully under pressure to push Russia and Qatar over their anti-gay laws. They will host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022

The Guardian reports that with the World Cup scheduled to take place in Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively, FIFA's new anti-discrimination taskforce is joining in the fight to ensure those nations are held accountable for their anti-gay laws:

Piara Powar  the director of Football Against Racism in Europe and a member of the taskforce along with the former FA chairman David Bernstein, said it would raise the issue at a meeting this week.

"Qatar is one of the few countries where homosexuality is still illegal and there are also big challenges in terms of the new law in Russia in regard to the World Cup," he said.

"Qatar wants to host the tournament at the start of a new decade, they will want to present an internationally welcoming face and with FIFA's help we are sure it will be possible to win over the Qataris so that they come into line with the rest of the world, including other countries in the Gulf and Middle East and change the law on homosexuality.

"These are issues of civil rights, fans and players of all races, religions and sexuality need to feel comfortable going to the World Cups in both Russia and Qatar. It is going to be quite a challenge but we have to make sure that football becomes the vehicle for social change that we claim it is. This is a big issue."