The recent events in Russia have made it clear to several of us that we need a clearinghouse of sorts to track attacks on the LGBT community that have their genesis in homophobia and that try to deny us our civil rights, particularly our freedom of expression. This is that clearinghouse.
Our mission statement:
This group will focus on the issue of LGBT rights and the efforts to limit them by homophobes throughout the world. Initially, it will concentrate on Russian homophobia and the Winter Olympics in Sochi, but as time passes we will zero in on cases of legalized homophobia around the world (including instances in the United States as well). The keywords of this group will be LGBT Rights, free speech and homophobia.
As I mentioned in my Top Comments diary on Wednesday night:
[This effort has produced] Some VERY encouraging signs, because some of our fellow Kossacks have really good ideas that they express in comments. Thank you for this one, badscience:
I think there will be much "diary for another day" (6+ / 0-)
material as the weeks roll on.
What is the response from other countries (especially countries with a good record on LGBT rights) about boycotts, sponsor boycotts, athlete boycotts, viewer boycotts?
Is there a place to mobilize and make clear that "we" will boycott advertisers and the Games as broadcast? Is there a push for like-minded individuals globally to come together in a sort of "Flush Rush" mode?
I'm thinking that we want this to be a group that can concentrate on the Sochi Olympics through the rest of 2013, and then consider the larger issues raised by the Russian laws going forward, and commonmass and I are roughing out a mission statement.
This is that group. If you commented on the group in that thread, , your invitations are on their way. If you'd like to help in this struggle, and perhaps engage in some crowdsourcing, kosmail the group, or indicate your desire in the comments. If you want to follow us, use the link!