PolicyMic is Debating the "B" Word This Week – Where Do You Stand?

In recent weeks, there’s been heated debate within the LGBTQ community about how to respond to Russia’s new anti-gay laws. First, gay bars around the world joined together in dumping Russian Stoli vodka from their shelves, and now some prominent LGBT activists have begun calling for the United States to boycott the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 

Over the next two days, PolicyMic will be debating the merits of a boycott of the 2014 Olympics through a series of powerful op-eds from prominent Olympic athletes, LGBT activists, elected officials, experts, and PolicyMic pundits. On Thursday, two Olympic athletes have weighed in: openly gay and four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis and star Australian tennis player and the longest-serving member of the Australia Fed Cup team, Rennae Stubbs. Athlete Ally's Brian Ellner and PolicyMic pundits Katie Halper and Liz Plank also offer their take on this issue. If you want a simple run-down of the law before you read these pieces, make sure to check out Human Rights First's Innokenty (Kes) Grekov's piece to get a simple explanation of the law.

On Friday, make sure to stay tuned for op-eds from American and Israeli basketball star Dan Grunfeld, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, and PolicyMic pundit Nick Demas. We'll also be featuring a piece from Dylan Howell, the courageous activist who kick-started a Change.org petition with more than 94,000 signatures, calling for the sponsors of the Olympics to condemn Russia's draconian anti-gay bill.

Join the discussion on PoliycMic and let us know where you stand in the comment section. We're looking forward to hearing from you. And join Athlete Ally and All Out to demand that the International Olympic Committee condemns the anti-gay bill and promotes equality.