Jordan Gerard/Winonan

Russia is thousands of miles away, but a group of Winona State University students closed the distance with messages of support for the Russian LGBTQ community on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in Harriet Johnson Auditorium.

Full Spectrum, Winona State University’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance, organized the event. Senior Garrett Bowling, public relations chair for the alliance, saw the event on the Family Equality Council’s Twitter page and set it up for the Winona State campus.

“I had been looking for a way to address the issues going on in Russia,” Bowling said. “I thought that this was a great way to do it.”

Students who came to the event took pictures holding a colorful poster that said “#ToSochiWithLove.” The pictures were then posted to the Family Equality Council’s Twitter page.

The event was originally started by the national Family Equality Council to show LGBTQ Russians they have support through this time in their country’s history, Bowling said.

According to the Family Equality Council website, the “campaign is to offer messages of love, support and friendship, while at the same time reminding Russian officials that the world is watching.”

The event also took place during the Winter Olympics to show support to gay and lesbian athletes.

“The goal was to show them that there are people outside their country and around the world that are here for them,” Bowling said. “And to also show them love even when their country’s officials don’t.”

According to the Global Equality website, the Russian Parliament created laws that affect the LGBTQ community.

One law allows the Russian government to terminate parental rights to children of same-sex couples. Another law prohibits LGBTQ propaganda. There has also been violence toward the LGBTQ community.

“The goal was to show them what love looks like,” Bowling said. “Russia might be thousands of miles away, but they’re in our hearts every day.”