Bars In Top U.S. Cities To Host Fundraiser During Olympic Opening Ceremonies To Aid LGBT Russian Activists

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This Friday, during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, restaurants, bars, and clubs across the nation will donate $1 of every drink sold from 9 p.m. to midnight as part of a new national initiative called Uprising of Love: Pride House 2014. All proceeds raised during the three-hour timeframe will be donated to the Russia Freedom Fund to support Russian LGBT activists.

Pride House events were previously held in London and Vancouver during the 2010 and 2012 Olympics so LGBT athletes, fans and friends could enjoy the international sporting events and celebrate LGBT inclusion in sport. When Russia announced its ban of a Pride House event in Sochi, Uprising of Love, Pride House International, Flip@Radarworks, and Outsports decided to launch Uprising of Love: Pride House 2014 to show Americans' support for LGBT Russians and Olympians. There has been an increase of anti-LGBT violence in Russia after discriminatory legislation targeting the LGBT community was passed last year.

Restaurants, bars, clubs, and other commercial establishments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York will participate in Uprising of Love: Pride House 2014. To encourage supporters to visit their local Pride House on Friday, LGBT activists and YouTube stars Colby Melvin and Brandon Brown created a promotional video that can be viewed online here. Additionally, the City of West Hollywood issued a proclamation on Monday declaring Feb. 7 as Uprising of Love: Pride House 2014 Day, with almost a dozen popular venues becoming Pride Houses for the evening.

Visit http://uprisingoflove.org/pridehouse/ for a list of participating venues.

About Uprising of Love:

Uprising of Love is a global movement in support of the safety and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) Russians.  Inspired by the original song by Melissa Etheridge, Uprising of Love, this movement is supported by prominent individuals in entertainment, sports, business, and politics and a number of LGBTI and human rights organizations. Launched in December 2013, Uprising of Love strives to support the LGBTI community in Russia and raise awareness of this cause internationally. www.uprisingoflove.org

About the Russia Freedom Fund:

The Russia Freedom Fund is a U.S. tax-deductible vehicle for making financial contributions in support of the LGBT movement in Russia and efforts to combat discrimination and violence there based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 100% of all donations will be paid out as grants. This initiative responds to growing concerns about recent state-sponsored discrimination in Russia and expresses solidarity between the international LGBT community and allies, and the Russian LGBT movement.

CONTACT:
Quincey Smith
[email protected]
307-202-1287

SOURCE Uprising of Love