While Human Rights Campaign (HRC), “the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization” begged Hollywood to respond to Russia’s laws against homosexuals, Matt Damon was on Skype hyping his new film Elysium for Russian audiences.
HRC president Chad Griffin sent a letter to the presidents of Fox, Paramount, Disney, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and the MPAA, asking them to make sure that any premieres of their films in Russia offer “clear and visible statements of support for Russia’s beleaguered LGBT community and of opposition to the Russian government’s campaign of institutional hate.” The letter also implored Hollywood honchos to “advocate for the repeal of these laws and the chilling effect of these laws on future film production, shooting, publicity and distribution within the Russian Federation.”
Griffin wrote that the Russian laws caused LGBT youth to be “goaded, entrapped and beaten by thugs.” Within the last week, HRC wrote NBCUniversal CEO Stephen Burke, pressing him to spent time during the Olympics to show Russia’s anti-gay laws “to the millions of American viewers who will tune in to watch the [Winter Olympic] Games [in Sochi].”
Meanwhile, Damon was taking queries from Russian and international Skype callers from Los Angeles in an attempt to garner support from Russian audiences. Damon took one call from Chelyabinsk, in the Urals, and another from a Russian TV channel. Damon called the Skypecast a “unique” experience.