While visitors watching the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, enjoy spectacular feats of athletic ability from the world's most accomplished athletes, those in Russia's LGBT community anticipate laws that punish Russians for even suggesting that it's okay to be gay, let alone live openly as a gay adult.
But, the conversation isn't just about Russia, as you'll hear. Russia's anti-gay laws are just the leading edge of a bunch of similar laws in other countries, all of them meant to simultaneously quiet the call for gay rights and affirm for that country that we are not the decadent West.
Meanwhile, here in the decadent West, the weekend brought a new gay marriage buttressing announcement from the Justice Department and the coming out of an NFL prospect.
Also on our radar today, have you noticed people getting sucked into arguments online about the Woody Allen case. We'll discuss that with Dahlia Lithwick, Slate Magazine's legal affairs reporter.
Last but not least, we're going to the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, who for the very first time since 1884 us allowing "mixed-breed" dogs to enter competition.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Jay Michaelson is director of the LGBT Global Rights Initiative at the Democracy Council, and a fellow at Political Research Associates
- Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate.com
- Tina Susman is the New York National Correspondent for The Los Angeles Times
