Photo: (Getty)
The state of LGBTQ rights varies depending on location, and many people are upset with Russia for its anti-LGBTQ laws. Actress Kerry Washington is among those urging Russia to make a change.
Kerry Tweeted:
What is going on in Russia is HEART BREAKING. #LGBT 36 Photos From anti-gay Russia That Everyone Needs To See... http://t.co/iT2TKB0QHO
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) August 1, 2013
Kerry was just put on the top of Vanity Fair's Best Dressed list, but she could also be put on a list of Best Celebrity Activists. MTV Act has covered her work for women's rights before, and now Ms. Washington is throwing her activism into the realm of global LGBTQ rights. You see, Russia recently passed what could be pretty much described as a "don't say gay" law. People are not allowed to talk about LGBTQ rights or LGBTQ couples if their words might be overheard by children. Breaking the law could wind you up in jail.
Some activists for equality still tried to put on a gay pride parade in St. Petersburg, but they were violently attacked by anti-gay demonstrators and detained by police. Kerry shares photos of this in her link. The photos are upsetting, and they show how serious the situation in Russia is. Russia is all set to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, and politician Vitaly Milonov has said that people visiting the country for the Olympics will also be punished if they break the anti-gay law. Some people are calling for a boycott on the Olympics to show how much this law has got to go. Kerry doesn't give her stance on this boycott, but she knows something has to change.