When the Winter Olympics begin next month in Sochi, Russia, they'll showcase some of the best qualities humanity has to offer: competition, camaraderie and the ability of sports to connect people across national and cultural barriers, to name a few.
But the Games will also shine a light on the oppressive conditions under which gay people in Russia live. "Anti-propaganda" legislation passed last year essentially bans discussion of gay life or gay rights in Russian schools and media, as well as in public events such as gay rights parades. (Recently, a protester was arrested for holding a rainbow flag at an Olympic event.)
Critics say this creates a particularly harsh climate for gay Russian youth, and some have suggested that the law's discriminatory nature gives tacit approval for physical attacks on gay people.
See also: Putin: Gays Welcome at Olympics if They 'Leave Kids Alone'
With global attention turning to Russia for the 2014 Games that begin Feb. 7, some activists hope the plight of gay people in Russia will be further exposed. Among the hopeful: the It Gets Better Project (IGB), which just last month launched a powerful campaign called "You Are Beautiful" to connect with and support gay young people in Russia.
In partnership with a Russian movement called Children 404 that works to help gay teens, It Gets Better is asking ordinary people from around the world to submit videos and written messages of support to Russia's gay teen community. "To the LGBT youth of Russia, you are beautiful inside and out," IGB's video introducing the project begins.
Submitted videos and written messages are then reviewed and hosted on a site where Russian teens can view them. IGB also shares the content with Children 404, which has set up pages for gay Russian teens to connect on Facebook and VK, a social network that's wildly popular in Russia.
IGB executive director Ted Farley told Mashable the project has received thousands of submissions from as far away as China, Nigeria, Malaysia and Mexico since launching the "You Are Beautiful" campaign on Dec. 6.
Embedded atop this post is a YouTube video IGB put together based on messages from Moldova. Here's another built on messages from Switzerland:

And another from Chile:

"It is important for people outside of Russia to connect with and support Russia’s LGBT youth because it is illegal to do so within the country," Farley told Mashable in an email. "In Russia, a law passed this summer makes it illegal to communicate anything to young people that presents LGBT people or their relationships in a positive light.
"While it may be illegal to communicate messages to that effect in Russia, it’s legal here and in other countries all around world," he continued. "This is a chance to reach LGBT youth in Russia with the messages they are barred from hearing in their own country because of an unjust law. We can use our voices to show them that they are supported and that they are not alone."

A Russian gay rights activist walks along a police line during a rally at in Moscow on Jan. 19.
Image: Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press
IGB surged to prominence in the United States in 2010 after sex columnist Dan Savage penned a column in which he lamented the suicide of a teenager, wishing he just could have told the kid that "it gets better." Celebrities ranging from the San Francisco Giants to Barack Obama have since recorded online "it gets better" messages supporting teenagers victimized by bullying or homophobia.
But for its latest campaign in Russia, IGB had to deviate from its usual mantra.
"The situation in Russia is dire and we don’t know how quickly it will improve, so we decided to spread the message 'you are beautiful' rather than 'it gets better,'" Farley explained. "By lending our support in this manner, we can show youth that they are loved regardless and are part of a global community."
While many have expressed thanks and support for the campaign, it hasn't been met positively by everyone — and risks attracting attention from the wrong people.
"We are very careful about protecting the rights of anyone we work with in Russia, as our messages would certainly be considered the very type of ‘propaganda’ that has been banned by law," Farley told Mashable. "There have been threats made to shut down the channels from ordinary citizens, but so far, we and Children 404 have not been contacted by any government officials. All of IGB’s work is conducted stateside, where it is legal."
Nonetheless, Farley remains optimistic that the IGB's "You Are Beautiful" campaign can continue building momentum through the Games and continue having a lasting effect well after the Olympics end and the world's collective eye turns from Russia.
"We want to connect those viewers who will be actively engaged on social media and channel their support to the LGBT youth in Russia," Farley wrote in his email. "By doing so, we not only support a marginalized community, but also keep awareness high in order to continue the dialogue about LGBT rights."