Russia must have been hoping the Sochi Olympics would be as much a celebration of their country as the London Olympics were for the UK. However it’s become an increasingly controversial event, marred the country’s increasingly homophobic laws, the government seemingly turning a blind eye to neo-Nazi groups attacking LGBT people and mixed messages over whether gay people would even be safe attending the games.
The homophobic atmosphere has caused many to speak out, including Arrow star Stephen Amell (who spent much of his early career playing gay roles). He took to Facebook to answer questions about his shows scheduling, saying Arrow is on a ‘mini hiatus so people can grit their teeth and suffer through an Olympic games marred by homophobia and mediocre levels of public interest.’
He later continued ‘Follow up point — Good luck to all the athletes who have worked so hard for so many years and essentially geared their entire life around this opportunity. Hopefully, a lot of them will use their success and a public platform to remind everybody this isn’t the stone age.’
It’s not the first time the hunky star has used Facebook to speak up for gay rights, such as during the US Supreme Court case over The Defence Of Marriage Act, when he said, “[m]arriage should be available to everybody. Some of the most loving, powerful relationships I’ve witnessed have been same-sex couples…Equal rights for all.”
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