Tim Stevenson, rainbow gloves.

Long-time, openly gay, Vancouver city councilman Tim Stevenson, one of the city’s hosts for the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, trekked to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic games, opening February 7, on one of the few sensible political junkets of the year. It’s also one of the shrewder junkets, since this trip will definitely not hurt the councilman’s re-election prospects in gay-friendly Vancouver.

Tim Stevenson, Team Canada.

Stevenson is protesting Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws in Russia and lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include anti-discrimination provisions in its charter documents. Stevenson arrived fully armed with rainbow socks and gloves.