I Am Infuriated by the Homophobia of Putin's Government
By Belle Brockhoff
2014 Olympic snowboarder
Competing at the Olympics as an athlete has always been a dream of mine ever since I picked up my first snowboard when I was 10 years old. Now that I am going, I find that I am proud to have the opportunity to compete as an athlete but also feel an added responsibility as an Ambassador for Equality.
As a gay athlete going to Sochi, I am infuriated by the homophobia, established by the Putin government. As I trained for the 2014 Olympics, it was never my plan to come out to the world in response to the gay propaganda laws in Russia. But when I heard about the law banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" in Russia, I had to. I had to speak out because discrimination against the LGBT community in Russia or anywhere in the world is wrong.
And with the 2014 Olympic Games set to take place in Sochi, Russia, it is important to send a clear message that discrimination and homophobia are against the Olympic ideals and principles, and are an insult to basic respect for our common humanity.
LGBT equality is about human rights -- rights that are being denied to millions of people in Russia and throughout the world. Laws like the one passed in Russia criminalizing homosexuality and discrimination.
I've heard many inhumane stories and I've been sickened by the videos I've seen of the violence towards homosexuals in Russia. The Russian gay propaganda laws have led to an increase of violence against LGBT Russians.
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