#LOVESOCHI, Rally and Support WorldPride 2014 ~ To Russia With Love
Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) February 06, 2014 -- WorldPride 2014 Toronto, presented by Pride Toronto launches the #LOVESOCHI action, and takes part in a local Toronto rally at the Russian consulate today. WorldPride 2014 Toronto continues to lend its voice to the chorus of those who stand up for LGBTTIQQ2SA (LGBTQ) Rights, because these rights are Human Rights.
#LOVESOCHI is a message of love and support to LGBTQ people in Russia and around the world who survive despite government oppression. To share your support, take a photo or video of hands making the heart symbol and share it with #LOVESOCHI hashtag on all social media. Visit the #LOVESOCHI action site for more details: http://worldpridetoronto.com/lovesochi.
“We ask everyone to take a moment and actively share their love and support for the LGBTQ people of Russia during the Olympics and long after the last medal is awarded,” says Kevin Beaulieu, Executive Director, Pride Toronto. “In the face of hatred and intolerance, these courageous Russians rise up for love and freedom, and we rise up in support of them.”
Join the conversation around LGBTQ rights in Russia. Send love to the LGBTQ community through #LOVESOCHI. Join us at the Russian consulate TODAY, February 6, @ 6 p.m., 175 Bloor Street East, in a Rally for Global Human Rights and Equality.
“We want those who are outraged by Russia’s stance on LGBTQ rights to join us in common purpose,” says Sean Hillier, Co-Chair, Pride Toronto. We want people to share their collective anger at government bullying and take action either in person or on their social channels to show their support for those oppressed.”
Vladimir Putin’s aggressive conservative agenda in Russia has resulted in protests, and violent arrests. The mayor of Sochi asserts that there are no LGBTQ people in Sochi, an assertion we know to be untrue.
“Letting the LGBTQ population in Russia know that we have not forgotten their rights while the Olympics captivates the world is more important than what the Games themselves seek to accomplish,” says Dr. Shelley Craig, Co-Chair, Pride Toronto. “Higher, Faster, Stronger may be the Olympic motto, but it should also be the motto for those fighting against anti-gay oppression: Raise our voices higher, spread our message faster, demonstrate our pride is stronger."
About WorldPride 2014 Toronto and Pride Toronto
WorldPride 2014 Toronto is an international celebration taking place from June 20 – 29, 2014 that incorporates activism, education, and the history and culture of global LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities. WorldPride 2014 Toronto is presented by Pride Toronto, producer of Canada’s largest annual festival of LGBTTIQQ2SA* culture and human rights, under license from InterPride.
Pride Toronto is the not-for-profit organization that hosts the city’s Pride Festival, an annual event in downtown Toronto during the last week of June and one of the premier arts and cultural festivals in Canada. It is also one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world with an estimated attendance of over one million people. It celebrates the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities.
*LGBTTIQQ2SA is an abbreviation used to represent a broad array of identities such as, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, two-spirited, and allies.
For more information, visit http://www.worldpridetoronto.com.
Trevor Hampden, Pride Toronto, +1 (647) 465-6718, [email protected]
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