As the Sochi Winter Olympics get underway, for the Friday 12 at 12 we’re looking at ways the world is showing support for LGBT people in Russia

1. Google goes gay!

2. Channel 4 rebrands its on-screen logo with rainbow colours of the gay pride flag

3. Melissa Etheridge Releases Uprising of Love

Singer Melissa Etheridge co-founded Uprising of Love, a solidarity organisation that has attracted many A-list celebrities, including Madonna, Dustin Lance Black, James Franco and

Sigourney Weaver. The organisation’s goal is to support the LGBT community in Russia and foster an atmosphere where Russians feel bolstered to be themselves and speak up. You can support the campaign by buying Etheridge’s Uprising of Love single here.

4. Pussy Riot Call on American TV Viewers Not To Watch Winter Olympics

5. His Emineminence (feat V. Piddy) releases The Putin Rap

6. Channel 4 Block Books ‘Gay Mountain Ad’ Across All its Channels

7. All Out Launches Its ‘6’ Campaign

As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned political by athletes in the Winter Olympics protests at Sochi, All Out is instead asking them to voice their support for the sixth principle of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination of any kind in the Olympics. The thinking behind this strategy is that the IOC would find it difficult to punish an athlete for advocating one of the organisation’s own principles.

8. Michael Rohrbaugh Releases his ‘Discrimination is The New Olympic Sport’ Video

9. The Pridehouse Campaign

In every Olympics Village there is a Pridehouse, where LGBT athletes can gather. This has been banned in Sochi. So Uprising of Love is calling on gay bars across the world to become Pridehouses and donate a percentage of profits to Russian LGBT organisations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FScfWx0wKA

10. The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion Releases Ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4CEaoNADiY

11. LGBT activists hijack #CheersToSochi campaign to object to Sochi 2014 sponsors

While McDonald’s currently owns and operates CheersToSochi.com —CheersToSochi.org, a parody website, becomes a one stop website to hold advertisers at the Sochi Winter Olympics accountable.

12. Artists And Illustrators Back Gay Rights At Sochi

  Illustration agency Anna Goodson asked artists to show their support for gay rights in Russia. See Anna Goodson for more.