Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has been a rather vocal opponent of Russia’s anti-gay laws. In the past, he’s referred to them as “hateful” and “mean-spirited,” and he went even further recently by writing a letter to Russia denouncing the law.
According to The Globe and Mail, Baird sent the missive to Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, voicing his opinions. Baird has asked for the Russian government to “extend to all of its citizens — as well as foreign visitors — full human rights protections, including freedom from violence, harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation,” citing the impending 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics as a catalyst for his concern.
While Baird strongly opposes Russia’s anti-gay laws, it would seem that he still believes Canada should compete in the Games, as evidenced by his closing: “We are confident, that the Russian government will allow speedy and regular access to any Canadian citizen, should the need arise.”
On one hand, it’s good to see Baird — or anyone in a position of power at this point — openly attacking Russia’s laws this diplomatically. On the other hand, it’s pretty clear Putin isn’t operating on a reasonable level of logic. The guy is literally a fluffy, white cat and a deathray away from becoming a Bond villain.
See what I mean?
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