Although the Winter Olympics in Sochi do not officially start until February, the controversy over host Russia's anti-gay laws is heating up -- just as people expected.

A Russian man from Voronezh was detained after waving a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay when it was passing by his town. The proof was documented after his friends took photographs.

Russia has been known for its strict laws limiting LGBT rights and now the Olympic platform has put the spotlight directly on the issues. In addition to the challenges faced by LGBT people in Russia, the LGBT people and allies who want to travel to the Olympics are demanding to know whether these laws could affect them.

The law at stake is a ban on propaganda of "nontraditional sexual relations," or in other words -- a ban on being openly gay. A number of people have been arrested over the years for showing any form of support for the LGBT community.

There was initially an outright ban on protests but Russian president Vladimir Putin loosened this law -- but not by much. There are still only designated areas where people can protest and it is not allowed to be anywhere near the stadium. In fact, Khosta which is a designated protest zone, is 11 miles away from the Olympic Stadium in Sochi.

U.S. President Barack Obama has spoken out against the Russian law and he chose gay atheletes to represent the United States in the Olympic games. When speaking last August about Russia's anti-gay laws, the Commander In Chief said he has "no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them."

What do you think about Russia's decision to detain the protester? Let us know in the comments section.