Being different , by Andranne Dupr

Since men have begun to use medias such as the printing press, most people have started to
convey their beliefs by means of newspapers, books, movies, television shows and even our
societys standards and values. Many men and women were judged harshly through history
because their skin color, their skills or the people they loved were abnormal . Many people
have suffered because they were considered apart of the rest of the people because they were
different. Nowadays, many countries have finally accepted that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and
transgender are just as human as the rest of the populations. Though, some countries still seem to
believe that being different should be forbidden. Before the 2014
th
edition of the Olympic
Games, a controversy around the LGBT community has arisen since Vladimir Putin enforced an
anti-gay law in Russia. Other countries have been subject to uprisings against the LGBT
community concerning gay marriages. How are people and the athletes supposed to react to these
laws? Should people boycott the 2014
th
edition of the Olympic Games?
_____________________

In June 2013, the president of Russia signed a law against non-traditional sexual relations and
against the propaganda of homosexuality. These laws have caused many negative reactions all
around the world, for many people wanted to boycott the Olympic Games in order to show their
support of the LGBT community. Many athletes thought of boycotting them too, but they
believed that they should not let their emotions exceed their passion for their sport. According to
Steve Podborski, Canadas chef de mission, we should watch the Olympics: In Russia, it's their
country, they do what they want over there. If it's something you don't agree with, well then the
Olympics is really not the place to do it. You're going to the Olympics to compete in the Olympic
Games. If you want to change Russia, then go back another time and take a swing at it then.
1
" I
personally believe that boycotting the Olympic Games will do nothing good. Instead of showing
how angry we are, we should watch them and be proud of our gay athletes. If they have the
courage to attend the Olympic Games and temporarily forget the fact that Russia publically
disapproves of them, we should watch them and show them support through social medias. We
often use social medias for our personal goals, but why not use them for a greater goal like
acceptance? It is true that actions speak louder than words, but most people do not necessarily
have enough money to attend the Olympic Games, so I suggest that we should manifest in a
peaceful manner by taking a picture of us wearing a multicolor shirt and post it on social medias.

To conclude, I believe that Vladimir Putin has made a mistake by approving anti-gay laws, but it
wont stop me from watching the Olympic Games on the television at my home. I plan on taking
a picture of myself wearing a multicolor shirt in order to show my support to the LGBT
community, because I strongly believe that small actions like that really can make a difference. If
many people do this, the LGBT community might notice it, and it would be a great way to show
them that we support them.










Bibliography

SPENCER, Donna (2014). Canadas athletes push Russian anti-gay laws aside as they head
to Sochi. Accessible from http://www.canada.com/olympics/sochi/canadas-athletes-push-russian-
anti-gay-laws-aside-as-they-head-to-sochi. Page consulted on February 18
th
2014.
LESLIE, Tim, and TILLEY, Cristen (2013). 8 things to understand about gay rights in Russia
and the Sochi Winter Olympics. Accessible from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-06/russia-
gay-rights-sochi-explained/5237926. Page consulted on February 18
th
2014.