Russia: President Vladimir Putins

President Vladimir Putins: Tornovois murder earlier this year was a horrific reminder that Russia is a dangerous place to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Homophobia is rampant. And its not getting better on President Vladimir Putins watch. Pandering to prejudice, he has just signed a law that criminalizes the propagation of homosexuality and gay rights to minors, and outlaws gay rallies and promotion of gay causes in the media, according to The Star. But thats not the view REAL Women of Canada takes. The socially conservative group has launched a crude and misguided tirade against Baird, accusing him of abusing his position to impose his own special interests by lobbying the Russians and funding groups elsewhere that fight discrimination. It says Baird is trying to further his own perspective on homosexuality and After a few beers in a Volgograd playground Vladislav Tornovois drinking buddies decided he was gay. So they brutally beat him. Mutilated him. Tried to set him on fire. And snuffed out his life by crushing his skull with a heavy stone. He was 23. To Prime Minister Stephen Harpers credit, Canada has refused to remain silent. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was tasked with lobbying Moscow to drop the new law, and then to decry it as a mean-spirited and hateful incitement to intolerance and an affront to human rights. All of which it is. To Amnesty Internationals Alex Neve, Baird deserves praise for flagging rights abuses in places such as Russia, Uganda and Kenya. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.