Gabrielle Union says she Never Hides her “Farts & Bathroom Habits” from Dwayne Wade

    

When two people are in love, certain human nature only seems to energize the love.

TMI or Keeping it Real? Gabrielle Union was on the Chelsea Lately Show to promote her wine line and her hit BET series – Being Mary Jane.

And of course, the funny lady had some not-so awkward questions for Gabrielle.

When Chelsea told her she liked the fact that she seats in the toilet while filming scenes with her partner in Being Mary Jane, Gabrielle got talking.

“I have a high-fiber diet. You’re gonna [know] this is happening. There was none of that, I don’t fart, I don’t poop. I’m gonna be in there [the bathroom]!” when talking about her bathroom habits with  32 year old fiance NBA player Dwayne Wade.

The 41 year old actress also revealed they have chosen a date for their wedding.

Check it out!

D’banj says “I’m Now a Farmer”! Watch his TVC for ONE’s “Do Agric” Initiative

D’banj isn’t about to back down on his new goal – Saving Africa’s Agriculture.

The Nigerian music superstar who is the brand ambassador for ONE Organization, is currently in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia, for the African Union Summit.

Yesterday he interacted with thousands of Twitter subscribers who had questions about the project. He also officially launched and gave the first signature on the “Do Agric” petition. click here to sign.

WATCH VIDEO HERE 

Soundtrack for “Tina’s Shoes & Love Issues” by Mtrill & Rraz

Portraying a sensual and tempting ambience intoxicating enough to excite feelings of desire, Mtrill and Rrazz- the South-South Syndicate (SSS), drop the sizzling soundtrack for the much anticipated audio book series by Joy Isi Bewaji- “Tina’s Shoes & Love Issues”.
The story reveals the intriguing and hilarious love life of Tina, a fashion designer strutting in and out of love, succours and temptations.
The soundtrack, Loose, builds skilfully like foreplay giving us something to wish for. The song has a purpose- the male/female motivation is spiked with expensive alcohol and spicy conversation, laced perfectly with the series on Tina’s adventure.
M-trill – is a multiple award winning rapper with a string of great songs to his name. Known as a versatile MC, “Trilla” as he is fondly called weaves in and out any type of song with great ease.  Rraz – is another great PH rapper known for his hit “Nollywood” where he used most of the top Nollywood actresses to describe his ideal girl. A voracious MC with lots of promise.
Loose was produced by Bigfoot; and it’s the second single off the forth coming collaboration album “Our World”.
Delivery starts NOW! Book your copy of “Tina’s Shoes & Love Issues” call: 0803-328-6604

WOW! BE THERE

GOING DOWN TONIGHT! BE THERE! 8PM. EXCITING GIFTS TO BE WON INCLUDING AN ALL EXPENSE PAID WEEKEND STAY AT THE HOTEL. #COOLCLUBINVASION #TGIF

OC Ukeje: “I Get Sexual Offers from Older Women” – Watch the Village Square Interview

OC Ukeje is one of the most eligible bachelors in the Nigerian entertainment industry, so of course he’ll be getting offers from ladies from all walks of life.

The Nollywood actor had a chat with rising TV presenter Hauwa on Village Square TV. And he gave the scoop on the date offers he has gotten per day, MAYBE dating Uru Eke, Linda Ejiofor and Lilian Esoro, his plans to wed and more.

 


 WATCH VIDEO HERE

10 Tips & Tricks to Extend Blackberry Battery life

 

So if you’re finding yourself low on power sooner than you’d like to see and are looking to extend the battery life on your BlackBerry Bold 9900, Bold 9930 or other OS 7 device, there are plenty of settings you can tweak and battery-healthy habits you can form to get the job done. From dimming the backlight to tweaking up some network settings, a little bit goes a long way. These tips work for improving battery life on OS 6 and lower devices as well (although menus may be a bit different) so if you’re looking to get the most our of your BlackBerry battery, keep reading for our top ten tricks to improve battery life on your BlackBerry Smartphone.

1. Use Wifi when available – Turn Off Wifi when not in use
To Disable Wifi

Click on the Network Settings area on your home screen

Uncheck Wi-Fi (to enable Wifi repeat the process but check the box)

2. Dim the Backlight
To change your backlight brightness:

Go to Options > Display > Screen Display

Scroll to Backlight Brightness and change to 10

3. Change Your Backlight Timeout
To adjust the Backlight Timeout:

Go to Options > Display > Screen Display

Scroll to Backlight Timeout and change to 20 Sec

4. Turn Off Bluetooth When Not In Use
To Disable Bluetooth:

Click on the Network Settings area on your home screen

Uncheck Bluetooth (to enable Bluetooth repeat the steps but check the box)

5. Change Network Settings In Poor Coverage
Change your Network Settings to 2G:

Click on the Network Settings area on your home screen

Choose Networks and Connections > Mobile Network

Choose the dropdown box next to Network Mode and select 2G

6. Use the Auto On/Off feature or Bedside Mode
To use Auto On/Off

Select Options > Device > Auto On/Off

Check Enabled for Weekday, Weekend or both

Choose the time you’d like the device to turn on and the time to turn off (ie. 10pm to 7am)

7. Lock Your Device and/or use a BlackBerry Case w/ sleeper magnet 

8. Exit Unused Apps
To close unused apps:

Press and hold the Menu button to open the app switcher

Highlight and select the app you want to close

When in the app, press the Menu button again then exit (shutdown, logout) the app

9. Change App Refresh Settings
Apps like Twitter, Facebook and others that run in the background on your device can eat up precious battery life in no time. These apps constantly refresh at set intervals and slowly chip away at battery life you could be saving. For any app that has a background refresh, you’ll want to turn the refresh rate up or even off completely.

10. Charge Your Device (and buy a spare battery!)
Lastly, charge your device as often as you can, or better still, buy a spare battery

Have fun trying these tips out..

Tips: REBOOT Blackberry Without Removing Battery

 

Ok, let me share a simple way of REBOOTING your blackberry device without removing your battery. This involves PRESSING and HOLDING 3 KEYS together for about 3 seconds.

Keys are:

1. ALT key
2. Right Shift key (CAPS)
3. Delete key (DEL)

Check Image below:


Simple yeah?
Do you know of a better way? or you are not clear about the steps? or you have anything to say? Feel free to add comments

Windows 7 KeyBoard ShortCuts [Download PDF]

 

 Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.
Pressing the Alt key in some programs, such as Paint and WordPad, shows commands that are labeled with additional keys that you can press to use them.
You can also create new keyboard shortcuts to open programs. For more information, see Create keyboard shortcuts to open programs.

Here goes link to windows 7 keyboard shortcuts

DOWNLOAD PDF

Burna Boy & Lami Phillips cover February issue of Complete Fashion

 

 

Complete Fashion magazine February issue is out and it features music stars Burna Boy and Lami Phillips. 

LEAK: ODH – Drop It ft. Davido & B_Red

 

 

This joint was initially billed to drop sometime next month. However, my hand dey scratch me, so I decided to share with my NJO fam. It’s titled “Drop It” by young and talented producer ODH featuring HKN acts Davido and B_Red.

A couple of weeks ago, we heard ODH‘s debut single “Gbo Gbo Ile“ featuring Reminisce. This, in my opinion, is even better. Looking forward to a great 2014 for all 3 acts.

Listen and share your thoughts.

 

DOWNLOAD MUSIC HERE

 

 

Starboy ft. Wizkid & Shaydee – Number One Lover

 Off the Starboy album comes this new song “Number One Lover” featuring Wizkid and Shaydee. This one’s a mellow, slow-paced Dance Hall tune for those who love to whine and grind. Dope song.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Runtown ft. Davido – Gallardo (Prod. TSpice)

 

 

From the maker of the smash hit single “Party like its 1980″ (Kinorbor) comes this new single “GALLARDO” by Penthauz/Sputnet artiste Runtown featuring Omo baba olowo himself Davido.

Enjoy this tune as these two versatile artistes murder a sick beat.

Verdict: Potential hit.

DOWNLOAD HERE

WOW! LeriQ – Comment Tu T’appelle ft. Burna Boy, Dammy Krane, Mojeed, Ozone

“Aristokrat Records Presents LeriQ; Comment Tu T’appelle, first single off his Producer L.P. titled T.L.S.

The single features Label mates Burna Boy, Mojeed and Ozone with a special Guest appearance by Hypertek’s Dammy Krane.  TLS sees LeriQ bring Industry Heavy weights such as 2face, M.I., Wizkid, Illbliss, Efya, BEZ amongst others into his world to create a timeless album that is sure to alter the sound of the Nigerian/Africa music scene.  Album is set for release in the 2^nd quarter of 2014.

Look out for the video for Comment Tu T’appelle and more singles from T.L.S. For now download listen and share.”

DOWNLOAD HERE

Skales – Very Soon

Here’s a new song (and web video) from EME rapper Skales titled “Very Soon”. I can’t tell if it will be on Skales’ soon-to-be-released debut album “All The Above” but I’m told there’ll be more songs from him “very soon”.
Peep the joint along with the web visuals below and share your thoughts.




DOWNLOAD HERE

MTN Project Fame Winner: Olawale – Is Notin

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MTN Project Fame Winner: Olawale – Is Notin

“Having been crowned the winner of the latest season of MTN Project Fame West Africa and spent the last three months evolving his sound and honing his craft as an artist, fast-rising Nigerian Pop sensation and musician OLAWALE is proud to debut his brand new single titled “Is Notin”, produced by DJ Klem.

Premiered on several leading radio stations across the country including Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Beat FM, Rhythm FM and Naija FM earlier today, “Is Notin” sees both Olawale and DJ Klem in flying form from start to finish – from Olawale’s sweet voice to his infectious flow to DJ Klem’s up-tempo musical milieu backed by lush drums and guitar arrangements, it is hard to sit still once this massive Pop record comes on.

Currently in his final year at Ladoke Akintola University studying Agronomy, Olawale also serves as the musical director of his university’s church choir and draws his influences from the likes of Tiwa Savage, Bruno Mars, Neyo, J. Moss and Deitrick Haddon. Beating out fifteen amazing artist, he joins the likes of Iyanya, Chidinma, Monica Ogah and Ayoola as the sixth winner of the prestigious MTN Project Fame talent show.

 

Birthing a unique blend of R&B, Pop and Fuji that has not yet been seen in the Nigerian music landscape, Olawale in collaboration with prolific producer DJ Klem, has unearthed an exciting new musical direction that is bound to leave audiences and critics alike spellbound and captivated. Without a doubt, “Is Notin” is a future hit for 2014.

 Listen and download below.”

Landlords in the spotlight – how tenants can avoid getting stung

 

Mortgage lenders must approve a move to letting. Photograph: Moodboard/Corbis

'If a rental property seems too good to be true, it usually is.' Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

It's not just high rents that tenants have to worry about – there are also an increasing number of fraudsters intent on relieving them of their hard-earned cash.

In December, a New Zealand couple looking to rent in Swansea told the local paper how they had been conned out of £3,000 in advance rent after answering an advert for a one-bedroom flat. They signed a contract with the "landlord" who showed them the apartment, only for the real owner to visit after they had moved in and inform them the contract was fraudulent.

The unlucky pair are not alone. With rental accommodation in short supply in some areas of the country, con men are cashing in on tenants' desperation to find a place to live. On some occasions fraudsters have gained access to properties and taken prospective tenants around, pretending the property is vacant and under their control. In other cases the fraudsters are purporting to rent out property that doesn't exist, has already been rented out, or has been rented to multiple victims at the same time.

Problems also arise when a property is rented out by the real landlord but without the permission of the mortgage company. This is a breach of mortgage terms and conditions and, in theory at least, can lead to repossession. Other landlords might be in financial difficulty and at risk of repossession, but keep tenants in the dark about the risk to the roof over their heads.

Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom.co.uk, says there are plenty of resources available to help landlords carry out checks on tenants, but the same isn't true for would-be renters who want to do background checks. "However, there is nothing to stop tenants doing a little research of their own," he says. "Start off by asking questions. A good landlord will be happy to answer anything – within reason of course. Being thorough doesn't have to mean being confrontational. Ask how long the previous tenants were in the property, why they left and whether it's possible to speak to them."

As well as asking questions, there are a few checks you can do online to establish if things are really as they seem. You can check whether the landlord actually owns the property through the Land Registry. For £3 you can buy title registers showing ownership details. Land Registry data can also tell you about any charges on the property – these are loans, including mortgages, where the building is used as security and can be repossessed if payments are missed.

If it does show that there is a mortgage on the property, you might want to dig deeper. To stick to mortgage lenders' terms and conditions, a landlord will either need a buy-to-let mortgage or "consent to let" from their mortgage lender to rent out a property that has a residential mortgage.

"Councils, housing associations and corporations always require proof from landlords that they have consent to let from their mortgage provider – so there is no reason why prospective private tenants shouldn't ask for the same proof," says Glenn Nickols, director of online tenants community the Tenants' Voice. "A reputable landlord shouldn't have a problem in supplying the tenant with a copy of such permission."

If a landlord has the mortgage lender's permission to rent the property out, a tenant will be in a much stronger position if the property is repossessed due to arrears on the mortgage.

The past year has seen an increase in subletting, and "rent-to-rent". While the latter can be done perfectly legally, some middle-men do it without the landlord's permission. Tenants could be at risk of eviction if any middle man fails to pass on the rent to the proper landlord. To protect yourself, make sure you do due diligence on anyone you are handing rent money to; ask to see the agreement between the landlord and any middle-man or agent, do a quick Google search on both, and request proof that any deposit you hand over is properly protected.

A dodgy landlord might use a letting agent, but he or she will come under less scrutiny if the property is advertised directly, so it is worth being on your guard when responding to adverts on listing sites. Gumtree, which lists thousands of properties around the UK, offers its users tips on how to avoid rental rip-offs.

"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If the price of rent is unusually low, there might be a catch," says Paul McCambridge, head of property at Gumtree. "Check other similar properties in the same area to get a good idea of what you should expect to pay. It sounds obvious, but you should always visit a property before handing over any money to a landlord. People who are not willing to show you their property or meet with you before accepting you as their tenant might not be legitimate."

Never use a Western Union or Moneygram transfer service to pay your rent. Photograph: Pewee Flomoku/AP

One popular tactic used by scammers is to persuade tenants to use Western Union or Moneygram to transfer money. While these services are legitimate businesses, you shouldn't use them to send your deposit or rent. Western Union admits its services are often used by property scammers. It says that in the majority of the cases where this fraud was committed, scammers posed as landlords on classified websites and conned legitimate house hunters out of their money.

Peter Barnes, senior manager global investigations at Western Union, says: "Consumers can lower their chances of falling victim to fraud by following three key tips: never use a money transfer service to send money to people you haven't met in person; never provide your banking information to people or businesses you don't know; and never use a money transfer service to prove you have funds available for a deposit or any purchase."

Syria wiping neighbourhoods off the map to punish residents – rights group

Satellite imagery taken over both cities has revealed seven areas where neighbourhoods have either been largely destroyed or totally demolished. None of the destruction was caused during combat. Rather, the buildings have been systemically destroyed using bulldozers and explosives placed by troops who first ordered residents to leave, then supervised the demolitions.

A report released on Thursday morning says the Syrian regime claims that the demolitions were part of an urban planning programme that aimed to remove illegally constructed buildings.

Human Rights Watch, however, claims the motivations were instead to punish areas that were deemed to be sympathetic to opposition groups. It says the destruction violated international law and the laws of war.

Claims of widespread abuses have been routinely levelled by the government and the opposition during almost three years of war in Syria, which has killed more than 130,000, displaced close to 8 million, led tens of thousands to disappear and battered the country’s renowned heritage sites. However, the scale of the physical destruction has been difficult to document, with reporting limited by government visa restrictions and the intensity of the fighting.The Syrian government has demolished thousands of buildings, in some cases entire neighbourhoods, in parts of Damascus and Hama, as part of a collective punishment against residents of rebel-held areas, Human Rights Watch has found.

“Wiping entire neighbourhoods off the map is not a legitimate tactic of war,” said Ole Solvang, emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch. “These unlawful demolitions are the latest additions to a long list of crimes committed by the Syrian government.”
Using satellite imagery, the organisation has compiled a dramatic series of before and after shots that it says show 145 hectares, the equivalent of 200 football fields, where the state policy has caused near-total destruction.

Some demolitions took place near areas such as the Mezzeh airbase and the international airport that the opposition viewed as strategic. While acknowledging that a military response in these areas could be deemed as legitimate, the report claims that the response was disproportionate.

The Mezzeh and Tadamoun areas of the capital, both opposition strongholds, have been particularly heavily hit, the images show. In Hama, where former president Hafez al-Assad killed tens of thousands of residents and wiped out neighbourhoods over several days in 1982, widespread destruction has again taken place. The satellite images show that the Masha al-Arb’een area has been wiped out. One image, apparently taken while the demolitions were under way, shows part of the area still standing – a grey blob of buildings juxtaposed against a white backdrop of ruins.

Chelsea's Jose Mourinho says West Ham played '19th-century' football

WATCH VIDEO HERE 

José Mourinho accused West Ham United of playing "football from the 19th century" to nullify Chelsea and the Portuguese claimed Sam Allardyce's players had feigned injury and wasted time to secure their goalless draw on Wednesday.

The stalemate cost Chelsea the chance to go above Arsenal into second place in the table. An exasperated Mourinho did acknowledge that West Ham's defensiveness was understandable, given their predicament in the bottom three, but said the game did not befit the Premier League. Allardyce, when told of his opposite number's comments, laughed and said: "I don't give a shite, to be honest."

Mourinho had been infuriated by the visitors' tactics and had spoken to Allardyce in the tunnel after the game. "It's very difficult to play a football match where only one team wants to play, very difficult," Mourinho said. "A match is about two teams playing. This match was only one team playing and another team not. I told Big Sam that, because they need points, to come here and do it the way they did... is it acceptable? Maybe yes.

"I cannot be too critical because, if I was in this position, I don't know if I would do the same. But at the same time this is not Premier League. This is not the best league in the world. This is football from the 19th century."

Asked to elaborate on what he meant by that, he said: "Pretending injuries; cheating... I don't know if that's the right word; the goalkeeper taking time not after minute 70 but in the first minute; 10 defenders in the box, defenders not putting a foot outside the box. All very basic. But I'm nobody to criticise. They are happy. They get a point. I hope the point means something for them at the end of the season.

"Sam was laughing when we spoke. His objective was to come here and take a point. His objective was not to come here and play good football, or win, or feel part of the quality of the Premier League. He takes the point. After that he's a happy man and I'm a sad guy.

"Hopefully they have conditions in the future, if they survive, to present a different kind of football coming here. They have good players, a good squad. Look at their bench and it's full of quality players. So hopefully, for the good of the Premier League, this was just a consequence of their need – which I respect totally – and hopefully they can play football [in the future]."

Allardyce, who praised his team's resilience after recent poor form, could not contain his amusement when told of Mourinho's post-match outburst. "He can't take it, can he?" he said. "He can't take it because we've out-tactic-ed him, out-witted him. He just can't cope. He can tell me all he wants. I don't give a shite, to be honest. I love to see Chelsea players moaning at the referee, trying to intimidate the officials, and José jumping up and down in his technical area. It's great to see."

Chelsea's failure to win left them third in the table, three points behind the new leaders, Manchester City, whom they visit on Monday. Mourinho had made great play in the build-up to this fixture that his team should not yet be considered contenders for the title, with the priority apparently to qualify for the Champions League and maintain the team's evolution.

"For many months now have I said the same thing: one team [City] is an end product and the other is a team trying to build," said the Chelsea manager. "For me it's not a surprise to see them top. We go there next Monday and the result at this moment is 0-0. Are they favourites? Yes. Are they favourites to score again four, five, six goals? Yes. But it's 0-0 now and we go there to compete."

Fifty-two Olympians urge Russia to repeal 'gay propaganda' laws

The 52 Olympians calling on Russia to repeal anti-gay laws'

Name	Nationality	History	Sport
Alex Duckworth *	Canada	1st Time Sochi Olympian	Snowboarding
Anastasia Bucsis *	Canada	1x Olympian	Long Track Speed Skating
Andy Roddick	U.S.	2x Olympian	Tennis
Anthony Ryan *	Australia	1x Olympian	Bobsleigh
Astrid Radjenovic (Loch-Wilkinson) *	Australia	2x Olympian	Bobsleigh
Belle Brockhoff *	Australia	Sochi Hopeful	Snowboarding (Cross)
Ben Provisor	U.S.	1x Olympian	Wrestling
Caitlin Cahow	U.S.	1 Silver, 1 Bronze	Ice Hockey
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof	U.S.	1x Olympian	Snowboarding (Cross)
Cameron Myler	U.S.	4x Olympian; Flag Bearer - Lillehammer 1994	Luge
Caryn Davies	U.S.	2 Gold, 1 Silver	Rowing
Chris Seitz	U.S.	1x Olympian	Soccer
Ciaran O Lionaird	Ireland	1x Olympian	Athletics (Running)
Dan Veatch	U.S.	1x Olympian	Swimming
David Pichler	U.S.	2x Olympian	Diving
Duncan Harvey *	Australia	1x Olympian	Bobsleigh
Esther Lofgren	U.S.	1 Gold	Rowing
Gareth Nichols *	Australia	1st Time	Bobsleigh
Greg Louganis	U.S.	4 Gold, 1 Silver	Diving
Heath Spence *	Australia	1x Olympian	Bobsleigh
Hedvig Lindahl	Sweden	3x Olympian	Soccer
Imke Duplitzer	Germany	1 Silver	Fencing
James Blake	U.S.	1x Olympian	Tennis
Jana Pittman *	Australia	2x Olympian	Bobsleigh
Jen Kessy	U.S.	1 Silver	Beach Volleyball
Ji Wallace	Australia	1 Gold	Trampoline
Joerg Fiedler	Germany	1 Bronze	Fencing
Khatuna Lorig	U.S.	1 Bronze	Archery
Lee Ford	U.S.	1x Paralympian	Para Archery
Lindsey Carmichael	U.S.	1 Bronze	Para Archery
Lori Lindsey	U.S.	1 Gold	Soccer
Lucas Mata *	Australia	1st Time	Bobsleigh
Mardy Fish	U.S.	1 Silver	Tennis
Mark Janoschak	Canada	1x Olympian	Figure Skating (Ice Dancing)
Martina Navratilova	U.S.	1x Olympian	Tennis
Megan Rapinoe	U.S.	1 Gold	Soccer
Mike Janyk *	Canada	2x Olympian	Alpine Skiing
Miriam Rothstein	U.S.	1 Silver	Long Track Speed Skating
Nick Symmonds	U.S.	2x Olympian	Athletics (Running)
Race Imboden	U.S.	1x Olympian	Fencing
Rennae Stubbs	Australia	4x Olympian	Tennis
Robbie Rogers	U.S.	1x Olympian	Soccer
Rosanna Crawford *	Canada	1x Olympian	Biathlon
Sally Shipard	Australia	1x Olympian	Soccer
Sarah Stewart	Australia	2 Silver, 1 Bronze	Wheelchair Basketball
Seth Wescott	U.S.	2 Gold	Snowboarding (Cross)
Sharon Kelleher	U.S.	2x Paralympian	Wheelchair Tennis
Simona Meiler *	Switzerland	1x Olympian	Snowboarding (Cross)
Steve Nash	Canada	1x Olympian	Basketball
Suzy Favor Hamilton	U.S.	3X Olympian	Running
Tanner Gers	U.S.	1x Paralympian	Para Track and Field
Teresa Edwards	U.S.	4 Gold, 1 Bronze	Basketball

The Olympic Park in Sochi. The Olympians' campaign is called 'principle six' after the clause in the Olympic charter guaranteeing non-discrimination. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

On the eve of the Sochi Winter Games, more than 50 current and former Olympians have called on the Russian authorities to repeal recently introduced anti-gay laws and criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and multinational sponsors for not doing more to force them to do so.
Fifty-two Olympians, with dozens of medals between them and including 12 competitors in Sochi, have launched a trenchant criticism of the lack of action to force Vladimir Putin's administration to scale back laws that forbid "gay propaganda" aimed at under-18s and have led to a wave of homophobic attacks.
The signatories to the so-called "principle six" campaign – named after the clause in the Olympic charter that supposedly guarantees non-discrimination – include the American snowboarding gold medallist Seth Wescott, the Sochi-bound Canadian biathlete Rosanna Crawford and the Australian four-man bobsled team.
Robbie Rogers. Photograph: Danny Moloshok /Reuters Other famous former Olympians who are backing the call include the tennis players Martina Navratilova and Andy Roddick, the former Leeds United footballer Robbie Rogers, and the four-time gold-medal-winning diver Greg Louganis.
"As an athlete, as an American, and as a believer in equal rights and equal opportunity for everyone, I realised I needed to speak up because that's not where we are today in sports," the American rower Esther Lofgren, a gold medallist at London 2012, told the Guardian. "The mission is to support all athletes to be themselves and be free to be athletes."
Megan Rapinoe, who won gold in the women's football in London, said she believed the IOC should have done more and made it clear that this was not a political issue but a basic question of human rights.
"I understand and respect that the Olympics are not the time nor place for political statements, but this is far beyond any kind of statement," she told the Guardian.
"People's lives and their wellbeing are in danger, and that goes far beyond anything the Olympics stand for. I think it is important to talk about it and have an ongoing conversation during these Games, and not have this issue silenced."
Nicky Symmonds, an American runner who criticised the laws in Moscow after winning a silver medal at the athletics world championships last year, said the experience persuaded him that athletes needed to speak up on the issue.
"While there, I saw video of people being shoved to the street for expressing their love and the image bothered me very much," he said. "I also spoke with members of the gay community in Russia who said they had been treated better under Soviet rule than they were currently being treated under Putin's leadership, and wanted to lend my support in any way I could."
Campaigners believe the new laws have had a chilling effect, increasing the number of homophobic attacks on Russia's gay population.
This week, when pressed by the Guardian, the IOC president, Thomas Bach, confirmed athletes would be free to call for equality in press conferences but that a ban on making political statements during competition or medal ceremonies would stand.
But even that was immediately contradicted by the Sochi 2014 chief executive, Dmitry Chernyshenko, who said athletes who wished to speak out against the anti-gay legislation would have to do so in a special "protest zone", 11 miles (18km) from the Olympic Village. "There is a lot more that could be done by the Russian government, the IOC and sponsors," said Andre Banks, the co-founder of All Out, which launched the campaign in partnership with the anti-homophobia group Athlete Ally.
Thomas Bach, the IOC president. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images "They want this story to go away and have been totally unwilling to make any real concessions regarding the law. There are precedents. In Beijing, China had to change its laws following pressure from the IOC. In London, the IOC put a lot of pressure on the Saudi Arabian government to allow women to compete."
Human rights organisations hope to increase the pressure on Russian organisers as next week's opening ceremony nears, but many national Olympic associations have prioritised the need to concentrate on the performance of their athletes and avoid distractions.
Amnesty International, which is also concerned about a wider crackdown on human rights under Putin, this week staged a protest outside the Russian embassy in London and delivered a petition signed by more than 10,000 members of the British public.
Vladimir Putin poses with Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 volunteers. Photograph: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images In the US, LGBT groups have forced the Olympic sponsors Coca-Cola and McDonalds to pull or amend social media advertising campaigns after hijacking them to highlight their lack of action to put pressure on the IOC and organisers. "The IOC have a responsibility to deliver the Games successfully, but they also have a responsibility to deliver the Games in line with the values of the Olympic movement," said Banks.
Putin, who has invested $51bn in making the Sochi Games a showcase for Russia, attempted to explain the law in a recent interview, insisting it was not at all discriminatory and was only meant to protect children.
"We are not forbidding anything and nobody is being grabbed off the street, and there is no punishment for such kinds of relations," said Putin. "You can feel relaxed and calm [in Russia], but leave children alone please."
The gay propaganda law was partly meant for internal consumption, though it also fits into Putin's attempt to position Russia as the last bastion of traditional values in Europe, which has become more pronounced in the past year.
But the Russian president has been surprised by the reaction that it has produced abroad and the Kremlin is irritated that so many column inches have been written about the law in the runup to Sochi.
The pronouncements of Russian officials have hardly helped calm the situation. The Sochi mayor, Anatoly Pakhomov, dismissed the concerns completely in an interview with the BBC this week, claiming that there were no gay people in Sochi.
The Olympic park in Sochi. Photograph: Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters His statement, while obviously ridiculous, shows that many Russian gay people have to lead hidden lives, and in official circles very few gay Russians are out of the closet. Not everyone is in the shadows, however, and the Sochi local Andrei Ozerny published a blogpost addressed to Pakhomov on Wednesday saying: "I would like to tell you that there are many gay people in Sochi … and I am one of them." Ozerny said Sochi had traditionally been relatively tolerant towards gay people: "Actually Sochi is one of the most tolerant cities in our hideously homophobic country. Of course, there are various unpleasant incidents, but overall the gay people that are a mythical phenomenon for you fit perfectly normally into city life."
However, he added, the increased focus on gay issues in the runup to the Olympics had led to the feeling that the community was guilty for all the negative coverage that the Sochi Games had been receiving, and had thus increased tensions.
Leading Russian gay rights groups are not planning to travel to Sochi, partly because of the expense involved in getting to the city and staying there, as well as bureaucratic hassles with getting into the wider Sochi area during the Games.
Gay pride marches and protests in support of gay rights have routinely been banned in Sochi in the past, as in all Russian cities. When activists attempt to rally anyway, they are often detained by police.

• Sport
• Winter Olympics 2014

Fifty-two Olympians urge Russia to repeal 'gay propaganda' laws

Current and former Olympians criticise Games officials and sponsors for lack of action over anti-gay measures

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• The Guardian, Thursday 30 January 2014 14.12 GMT
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The Olympic Park in Sochi. The Olympians' campaign is called 'principle six' after the clause in the Olympic charter guaranteeing non-discrimination. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

On the eve of the Sochi Winter Games, more than 50 current and former Olympians have called on the Russian authorities to repeal recently introduced anti-gay laws and criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and multinational sponsors for not doing more to force them to do so.
Fifty-two Olympians, with dozens of medals between them and including 12 competitors in Sochi, have launched a trenchant criticism of the lack of action to force Vladimir Putin's administration to scale back laws that forbid "gay propaganda" aimed at under-18s and have led to a wave of homophobic attacks.
The signatories to the so-called "principle six" campaign – named after the clause in the Olympic charter that supposedly guarantees non-discrimination – include the American snowboarding gold medallist Seth Wescott, the Sochi-bound Canadian biathlete Rosanna Crawford and the Australian four-man bobsled team.
Robbie Rogers. Photograph: Danny Moloshok /Reuters Other famous former Olympians who are backing the call include the tennis players Martina Navratilova and Andy Roddick, the former Leeds United footballer Robbie Rogers, and the four-time gold-medal-winning diver Greg Louganis.
"As an athlete, as an American, and as a believer in equal rights and equal opportunity for everyone, I realised I needed to speak up because that's not where we are today in sports," the American rower Esther Lofgren, a gold medallist at London 2012, told the Guardian. "The mission is to support all athletes to be themselves and be free to be athletes."
Megan Rapinoe, who won gold in the women's football in London, said she believed the IOC should have done more and made it clear that this was not a political issue but a basic question of human rights.
"I understand and respect that the Olympics are not the time nor place for political statements, but this is far beyond any kind of statement," she told the Guardian.
"People's lives and their wellbeing are in danger, and that goes far beyond anything the Olympics stand for. I think it is important to talk about it and have an ongoing conversation during these Games, and not have this issue silenced."
Nicky Symmonds, an American runner who criticised the laws in Moscow after winning a silver medal at the athletics world championships last year, said the experience persuaded him that athletes needed to speak up on the issue.
"While there, I saw video of people being shoved to the street for expressing their love and the image bothered me very much," he said. "I also spoke with members of the gay community in Russia who said they had been treated better under Soviet rule than they were currently being treated under Putin's leadership, and wanted to lend my support in any way I could."
Campaigners believe the new laws have had a chilling effect, increasing the number of homophobic attacks on Russia's gay population.
This week, when pressed by the Guardian, the IOC president, Thomas Bach, confirmed athletes would be free to call for equality in press conferences but that a ban on making political statements during competition or medal ceremonies would stand.
But even that was immediately contradicted by the Sochi 2014 chief executive, Dmitry Chernyshenko, who said athletes who wished to speak out against the anti-gay legislation would have to do so in a special "protest zone", 11 miles (18km) from the Olympic Village. "There is a lot more that could be done by the Russian government, the IOC and sponsors," said Andre Banks, the co-founder of All Out, which launched the campaign in partnership with the anti-homophobia group Athlete Ally.
Thomas Bach, the IOC president. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images "They want this story to go away and have been totally unwilling to make any real concessions regarding the law. There are precedents. In Beijing, China had to change its laws following pressure from the IOC. In London, the IOC put a lot of pressure on the Saudi Arabian government to allow women to compete."
Human rights organisations hope to increase the pressure on Russian organisers as next week's opening ceremony nears, but many national Olympic associations have prioritised the need to concentrate on the performance of their athletes and avoid distractions.
Amnesty International, which is also concerned about a wider crackdown on human rights under Putin, this week staged a protest outside the Russian embassy in London and delivered a petition signed by more than 10,000 members of the British public.
Vladimir Putin poses with Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 volunteers. Photograph: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images In the US, LGBT groups have forced the Olympic sponsors Coca-Cola and McDonalds to pull or amend social media advertising campaigns after hijacking them to highlight their lack of action to put pressure on the IOC and organisers. "The IOC have a responsibility to deliver the Games successfully, but they also have a responsibility to deliver the Games in line with the values of the Olympic movement," said Banks.
Putin, who has invested $51bn in making the Sochi Games a showcase for Russia, attempted to explain the law in a recent interview, insisting it was not at all discriminatory and was only meant to protect children.
"We are not forbidding anything and nobody is being grabbed off the street, and there is no punishment for such kinds of relations," said Putin. "You can feel relaxed and calm [in Russia], but leave children alone please."
The gay propaganda law was partly meant for internal consumption, though it also fits into Putin's attempt to position Russia as the last bastion of traditional values in Europe, which has become more pronounced in the past year.
But the Russian president has been surprised by the reaction that it has produced abroad and the Kremlin is irritated that so many column inches have been written about the law in the runup to Sochi.
The pronouncements of Russian officials have hardly helped calm the situation. The Sochi mayor, Anatoly Pakhomov, dismissed the concerns completely in an interview with the BBC this week, claiming that there were no gay people in Sochi.
The Olympic park in Sochi. Photograph: Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters His statement, while obviously ridiculous, shows that many Russian gay people have to lead hidden lives, and in official circles very few gay Russians are out of the closet. Not everyone is in the shadows, however, and the Sochi local Andrei Ozerny published a blogpost addressed to Pakhomov on Wednesday saying: "I would like to tell you that there are many gay people in Sochi … and I am one of them." Ozerny said Sochi had traditionally been relatively tolerant towards gay people: "Actually Sochi is one of the most tolerant cities in our hideously homophobic country. Of course, there are various unpleasant incidents, but overall the gay people that are a mythical phenomenon for you fit perfectly normally into city life."
However, he added, the increased focus on gay issues in the runup to the Olympics had led to the feeling that the community was guilty for all the negative coverage that the Sochi Games had been receiving, and had thus increased tensions.
Leading Russian gay rights groups are not planning to travel to Sochi, partly because of the expense involved in getting to the city and staying there, as well as bureaucratic hassles with getting into the wider Sochi area during the Games.
Gay pride marches and protests in support of gay rights have routinely been banned in Sochi in the past, as in all Russian cities. When activists attempt to rally anyway, they are often detained by police.