Melissa Etheridge’s official video for “Uprising of Love,” the song she wrote for the Uprising of Love Coalition in support of the safety and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Russians.

All proceeds from sales of “Uprising of Love” will benefit the Russia Freedom Fund.

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Melissa Etheridge is giving away an Ovation acoustic guitar! And as if that wasn’t enough, Etheridge has personalized the instrument with the lyrics of her Russian LGBT rights anthem “Uprising of Love.”

Visit Etheridge’s website for details and to enter to win.

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Norway’s XXL All Sports United joined the fight against Russia’s anti-gay laws with their new video, “Airport Love.” The video went viral and has was hailed as the greatest attack to come out against Russia’s anti-gay laws.

The post Olympic commercial with lesbian twist from Norway first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Grammy award-winning rocker Melissa Etheridge will perform at the opening ceremonies for WorldPride 2014 set for June 20 in Toronto. The free concert, to be held in Nathan Philips Square, kicks off the 10-day international celebration of LGBT pride.

Etheridge will perform “Uprising of Love,” her anthem in support of the Russian LGBTQ community. The song became the inspiration for a celebrity coalition by the same name, Uprising of Love, an organization in support of the safety and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Russians. As a result, 100% of all proceeds from the song go toward the Russia Freedom Fund, which is one of the only ways to make immediate and direct financial contributions to LGBT activists in Russia.

“The lyrics of ‘Uprising of Love’ came from such a personal and passionate spot in my soul and I’m more than excited to share this anthem with the world,” says Etheridge in a statement. “Love is intangible and unpredictable, but it’s the one feeling that is universally experienced and desired by all.”

Watch as Etheridge debuts “Uprising of Love” at the Uprising Of Love coalition launch event in New York City late last year.

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My grandfather was born near Kiev, Ukraine when Russian pogroms decimated Jewish villages. Fearful for their lives, many countrymen immigrated to the United States. Over the next 100+ years, Russia fought in both civil and world wars interspersed with times of peace, albeit under repressive rule, rationing and other less-than-desirable conditions.

The end result was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the USSR. Now, with the Ukraine no longer a part of Russia, the fighting continues. Why are they fighting? For the same reason many wars are still being fought: freedom to live the life of one’s choice. In a recent policy decision that catered to part of their citizenry, the Ukrainian government rebuffed the European Union in favor of mother Russia. In so doing and despite having achieved a measure of autonomy, the Ukraine threatens to tip the balance of their hard won freedom back toward Soviet influence, the same Soviets who criminalized the birthright of its LGBT citizens.

Recent protests in Kiev (Photo: The Independent)

Relatively speaking, Ukraine’s separation is recent history and living in a more Westernized society must seem tenuous. Thousands have taken to the streets in a show of strength and determination. Their message is simple: they want to be allied with progressive European interests. They want to enjoy a free life, whereas an alliance with Russia is a step backwards. This is unacceptable, yet so important that people are protesting. At first it was peaceful but now they are dying for their cause.

As I write this, the Sochi Olympics are winding down. Months before the games began, in typical showy fashion, President Putin chose to enact punishing laws aimed at their LGBT citizens. Bloody clashes made the news. In response, communities around the world loudly proclaimed their support of LGBT rights and gay Olympians, and decried the new laws. There was no shortage of publicity. I cannot know if this was part of Putin’s agenda as he reveled in his shirtless, misguided macho glory with his country in the world’s spotlight. He gave assurances that security would be in place to protect all visitors, though there were a few reports of conflicts. What happens after closing ceremonies is anyone’s guess.

While we watched the Olympic Games in Sochi, we were mindful of our LGBT brothers and sisters, knowing an incident could occur where innocent individuals might be harmed. And during that time, we also watched Kiev’s Independence Square turn into a blackened battleground. The stakes skyrocketed when rubber bullets were replaced with real ones. Riots are not a game. There is no medal for how far you can throw a Molotov cocktail or how fast you can run from a baton-wielding policeman.

I am an American, but I feel these people are my countrymen. I shudder to think what my life would be like if instead of watching the Olympic Games in safety and comfort, I was in the thick of it defending my independence while trying not to get my head cracked open. Surely, LGBT Ukrainians, their allies, and indeed, all Ukrainians, wish to live peaceful, open lives without fear of arrest or violence. Sadly, the Russian LGBT community protests under this threat. We must continue to fight for them, too. We are all countrymen.

Zoe Amos brings her lesbian point of view to articles and stories on diverse topics. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. “Superior” a novella, is now available on Amazon. Read her short stories on Kindle and Nook. Check out her other life at: www.janetfwilliams.com.

The post From A to Zoe: This is not the Ukrainian Olympics first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Former Italian lawmaker Vladimir Luxuria

BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Washington Blade

A transgender former Italian parliamentarian on Monday was reportedly arrested for the second time in less than a day at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Imma Battaglia of the Gay Project, an Italian LGBT advocacy group, told the Washington Blade that four police officers took Vladimir Luxuria and two members of the television crew who were with her into custody as they tried to enter the an arena where a semifinal match between the Canadian and Swiss women’s hockey teams was about to take place.

Initial reports indicate officers asked Luxuria, who was wearing a rainbow suit, not to show a rainbow flag with “being gay is ok” written onto it. Luca Possenti of Famiglie Arcobaleno, a group that advocates on behalf of Italian LGBT parents and those who want to have children, told the Blade that officers arrested Luxuria after she began shouting the slogan in front of cameras.

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

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Rihanna took to Instagram over the weekend in order to make a statement of solidarity with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community living in Russia.

The singer posted a picture of herself wearing a beanie from the “Principle 6” clothing campaign, the proceeds of which go to advocacy groups actively fighting Russia’s anti-gay discrimination and legislation.

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

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Russia officially welcomed gay athletes and spectators to the Sochi Winter Olympics, but in a country where it’s thought only 1 percent of gay people dare to live completely openly, it appears to be a hollow gesture.

“Dispatches”  gained unique access to the vigilante gangs that target gay men and women. The film depicts a country troubled by disturbing violence and distressing intimidation.

Six months after the Russian parliament unanimously passed a law to protect children from ‘non-traditional’ relationships, this film explores the terror that gay people in Russia are calling ‘hunting season’.

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Pop star Annie‘s “Russian Kiss” video, featuring Bjarne Melgaard, is “a critical cry from Norwegian and American elite performers — albeit not from the Olympic disciplines.” Annie and Bjarne joined up to create this music video “about the right to kiss one’s beloved — regardless of sexual orientation — wherever one likes,” according to the “Russian Kiss” website.

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On February 7, AT&T became the first major corporation in the US to officially condemn Russia’s anti-LGBT laws. The telecommunications company is known for standing with Team USA at every Olympic opening ceremony since 1984; it has also received a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for the last ten years in a row. When those two interests suddenly clashed, AT&T chose to support the side that needed it most.

AT&T released a statement that included:

“…We stand against Russia’s anti-LGBT law…AT&T has a long and proud history of support for the LGBT community in the United States and everywhere around the world where we do business. We support LGBT equality globally and we condemn violence, discrimination and harassment targeted against LGBT individuals everywhere. Russia’s law is harmful to LGBT individuals and families, and it’s harmful to a diverse society.”

To show that AT&T still hasn’t lost its team spirit, the post concludes with: “Go Team USA! #ItsOurTime.”

Read more at dot429.com

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