tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383236105308499589.post8077807965185158978..comments2023-09-24T16:20:50.493-04:00Comments on Call Me Meg: Why We Need ENDACallMeMeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14184763491635476887noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383236105308499589.post-7911809324486042542014-03-07T01:54:57.321-05:002014-03-07T01:54:57.321-05:00I must preface this by stating that my BA is in in...I must preface this by stating that my BA is in international relations, with specialization in Soviet Area Studies. Obviously, that degree, plus $45 or so, will fill my gas tank, but I digress. <br /><br />I recognize that Vladimir Putin has a difficult nation to manage, and a different set of realities than a US President. However, it's amazing how much like GW Bush Putin is. He kowtows to fundamentalist Christianity (the Orthodox Church), starts wars based on lies, and has fixed elections. One day, I would like to see the architecture of St. Petersburg first-hand, and own a Ural motorcycle with a sidecar, but I will not spend one dollar on Russian products until Putin is gone. <br /><br />After the Berlin Wall came down, Russia evolved into a fairly friendly place for GLBT people under Yeltsin, at least in the large cities. I used to communicate online with a couple T girls who'd had no problems transitioning in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and had even undergone SRS there. However, around 2002, I stopped hearing from them, and received a "final message" from one that said 'It's no longer safe for me here, I've lost my job, and I'm emigrating to the Netherlands". I have never heard from her again, and I hope she's okay. <br /><br />I greatly admire the courage of these athletes and event planners, for doing what they had to do to pull off their Games despite the obvious opposition of their own country. Crossdriving, with Annie Barchettahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16841206220467540120noreply@blogger.com