The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, a country that not only bans gay marriage, but also bans any discussion thereof. Though the Deputy Prime Minister has said all gay athletes will be welcome, there is still an air of uncertainty about whether or not speaking about gay rights will lead to imprisonment.

“In the 2012 Summer Olympics, over 20 participating athletes were openly gay or lesbian, and to move from that to the Winter Olympics with Russia’s anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) policies is just a step in the wrong direction,” said Jessica Collingwood, treasurer of the Student Alliance for Equality. “So much progress is being made around the world regarding LGBT rights, but a stigma still exists regarding being an open-LGBT athlete. I fear this recent policy in Russia will only make it worse.”

Closer to home, gay rights in Alabama are still shaky. While same-sex activity is legal, civil union and legal recognition is not. The question is whether or not a world power’s attitude toward the subject will affect other countries, territories and states.

“[This] translates to something so much larger than how it affects LGBT athletes,” Collingwood said. “It’s how it can and will affect LGBT youth in Russia and around the world. Children and youth view athletes as role models and what better inspiration than an Olympian? If these heroes and role models can’t be themselves, what message does that send our children?”

For Olympians, training is often a lifelong process. For those who are gay, sacrificing their spot in the Winter Olympics will prove detrimental to not only their namesake, but their pocketbooks.

“I was in band in high school, and that in itself consumed so much of my time,” said Victoria Sparks, president of the Student Alliance for Equality. “That being said, I cannot even imagine having dedicated almost my entire life to training and practice like Olympians have. I have read articles where people talk about boycotting the Winter Olympics because of the laws in Russia, and though it is dangerous and scary, I think that not boycotting could really plant a seed of change and show Russia how unified and dedicated the athletes are.”

Johnny Weir, a figure skater and Winter Olympian from Pennsylvania, has shown little concern about the Sochi Olympics, claiming his sexuality has nothing to do with his profession. Weir is married to Victor Voronov, a native Russian.

“We are just under one year away from the Opening Ceremonies and I couldn’t be more excited,” Weir said on his ESPN blog. “I watched a special ceremony and performance on Russia’s Channel 1 when it was officially 365 days away – I couldn’t help but smile while listening to president Vladimir Putin speak about making dreams come true in Sochi.

The Olympics are a blessed event, and I dream every day I’ll be competing in my third come February.”