In one week the Sochi Winter Olympic Games will begin in Russia. Already many players, fans, celebrities and politicians are hesitant about what has turned into a large political debate- the treatment of same-sex couples in Russia. In a recent interview, President Vladimir Putin claimed that gay Olympians would be safe within Russia's borders, but only if they "leave kids alone".
In 1993, private same-sex acts were decriminalized. It took an additional six years for homosexuality to be removed from the mental illness list. However, there remains no legal protection for gay couples, and no anti-discrimination measures are in place. Also, in 2012, an additional law was passed banning gay-pride events in Moscow for 100 years.
Last year, same-sex rights took an even greater hit when a law was passed banning the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors. In Russia, a minor is any individual under the age of 18. As a result of this law, hate crimes and arrests of gay individuals have sky-rocketed. During the Olympic torch relay, just 560 miles from Sochi, a protester was detained just for unfurling a rainbow flag.
The 2013 law, which passed the Duma 436-0, bans any form of communication to minors that might make "nontraditional sexual relations" attractive or even create an interest in these relations. This law has come under attack for its non-scientific assumptions that such propaganda in any way hurts minors, and for its vague language.
The law further creates a system of fines for any individual, public official or organization accused of such propaganda. The most lenient fine is 4,000 rubles ($120), which is almost double the average parking ticket violation for metro Los Angeles. The steepest fine, reserved for organizations of any kind is 1,000,000 rubles ($30,000).
The most heinous violation, according to this new Russian law, is to create propaganda that can be viewed on a broader scale. Therefore, any propaganda distributed as a form of media or using the internet is fined very heavily. The most lenient fine for use of internet propaganda is 50,000 rubles ($1500). These fines are exacted even on non-Russian citizens.
As a result of this new law, some individuals have planned a boycott of the Olympic Games. President Obama, along with other foreign leaders, is not planning to attend the Sochi Games. However, others argue that the athletes who have trained for years for this event should not be denied entry or support based on the political agenda of the host country.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
