A powerful short film created by the organisation All Out is aiming to raise awareness on the issues surrounding safety for gays and lesbians during Russia’s Winter Olympics next year. While the Russian government has attempted to reassure people that everyone will be welcome in Russia during the Games – no matter their sexuality – LGBT campaigners worldwide remain skeptical.
All Out’s petition calling for Russian president Vladimir Putin to change the laws and end the violence against gay people in his country has attracted great support, receiving over 375,000 signatures. People from around the world have been expressing their concerns about the Winter Olympics being held under such discriminatory laws, laws which even prevent gay rights marches and protests from taking place in Russia. The law came into effect in June when Putin banned “gay propaganda.”
The short film – #LoveAlwaysWins – highlights the situation in which a gay athlete wins the Olympics, only to be prevented from rejoicing with their loved ones in public. Ending on a particularly strong note – “What if living your dream meant living a lie?” – the video is sparking a further concern and anger over the abuse of human rights taking place in the host country of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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