In the second episode of the hit TV series Heated Rivalry, its two lead characters compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. And while, at this point in the show, closeted pro hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are still in the early stages of their heated affair, the topic of LGBTQ2S inclusion naturally comes up when Hollander and some American hockey players discuss going to watch a friend compete in the men’s figure skating program.

“Brave for a dude to show up to a place like this and be like ‘hey, here’s me.’ Russia is not safe for folks like that,” one of the Americans says, assuming the friend in question is gay and hinting at the dangers faced by queer and trans athletes who competed in Sochi.

The real-life 2014 Sochi Olympics saw calls for boycotts in response to Russia’s restrictive anti-LGBTQ2S policies, including its 2013 ban on the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” among minors. And while athletes—including many who are openly queer—competed in Sochi, conversations around boycotting or withdrawing from major sporting events persist. Most recently, activists have called for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics to pull out of the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and other policies, including restrictions on trans rights.

But at the provincial level, one sporting organization has already chosen to walk the walk when it comes to being inclusive, and it could present a model for others to do the same. In late 2025, Skate Canada—the governing body responsible for competitive figure skating in the country—announced it would no longer host events in Alberta due to the province’s restrictions on transgender athletes.........

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