I am gay and a frequent visitor to Russia. I consider it my "adopted homeland" and have many friends and business contacts there.

I am on the fence about going. Not because of the recent laws (well, its Russia) but because its going to be f-ing cold. I've been in Moscow before in February and, its seriously cold. -30C / -22F , with windchill, its even colder ( Sorry I can't handle). For what its worth, Sochi is more temperate. Many people question why Sochi was picked for this reason.

A plus for me wanting to go : Many people will be boycotting the games so crowds are bound to be low. Hotel rates are bound to be attractive. There is a Hyatt that is allegedly due to open in time, but as of yet they are not yet taking reservations. Also, I should note that the Russian Federation spent $56 Billion US dollars on this, I'm curious to see where this money went to.
(double what the Canadian's spent?)

BTW - reports of Gay people getting arrested upon entry are totally false.
Russia is very much misunderstood, often by people who have never even set foot there/don't know what they are talking about.

OP : I retired from FT for various reasons, and rarely post. I also choose not to participate in FT events "officially" . If this is an FT event, and non FT-ers are welcome, please PM. Otherwise, godspeed...